Hot take: I think The Office is totally overrated and here's why

Honestly, I tried watching it three times over the last five years and I barely got through season 2. My buddy at work kept saying I was missing out but I found the cringe humor just made me uncomfortable, not laugh. I spent a whole weekend once forcing myself through 10 episodes and by Sunday night I was just annoyed. Does anyone else just not get the hype around this show or am I the only one?

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph_green1315d ago

Season 2 is where most people say it finally clicks but I think it actually gets worse before it gets better. I forced myself through all 9 seasons once just to see what the fuss was about and honestly the only parts that landed for me were the Jim and Pam stuff before they got together. The whole Michael Scott character felt less like comedy and more like watching someone embarrass themselves at a party where nobody knows how to leave.

ben_fisher15d ago

Yeah I gotta disagree pretty hard here. The whole point of Michael is that he's painful to watch sometimes but that's what makes the funny moments hit so much harder. Like the "That's what she said" thing lands because you've sat through all his awkward attempts at being cool. Season 2 has some of the best stuff, the company picnic episode where Michael tries to do that ridiculous dance routine or when he pretends to fire Pam just to prove his point. Those moments don't work if you don't feel the cringe first. And I get what you mean about Jim and Pam but honestly some of the later seasons with Andy as manager had some gold too, especially the whole "suck it" thing with the Cornell fight song.

margaret55115d ago

Ever tried skipping ahead to season 3 to see if the pacing works better for you? I get that Michael is supposed to be awkward but the cringe felt more staged than genuine to me, like they were trying too hard to make moments uncomfortable for shock value rather than building up to real jokes. The Jim and Pam arc had its sweet moments but the whole will they/won't they thing dragged on longer than a bad meeting and by season 5 I was just zoning out during their scenes. I think the show gets credit for what it did for workplace comedy but the hype makes it sound like it's the funniest thing ever put on TV and I just don't see it.