Season Analysis: Where to begin with the troubles that plague The Office?  That reboot idea sure seems necessary, though I don’t know if I can say that I like its chances for success.

“Tallahassee”

One of the biggest problems of season 8 of The Office was its profound lack of focus.  It is true that, at its best, The Office has captured the random absurdity amidst the day-to-day drudgery of office life and therefore focus is something that is not really necessary – and perhaps even counterintuitive – for its success.  But while The Office has not always had a strong sense of focus plotwise, it has, for most of the series’ run, had a strong sense of the type of show that it wants to be.  This past season did not have that sense, at all, so when the Florida storyline provided the show with a focus regarding the plot, it was a good thing that there was at least some focus.  “Tallahassee” stood out among the Florida episodes, mostly thanks to some classic Dwight moments the likes of which we do not get to see as frequently as we used to.  His struggling through appendicitis and then returning to the presentation after surgery was appropriately suspense-filled comedy: the audience was on edge (a state of mind that can easily prompt laughter), knowing that at any moment, he might collapse or his guts might spill out in front of everyone, and the fact that he was going full-bore despite his condition only made it more amusing.  “Tallahassee” also featured the best cold opening of the season (Jim creating a fake murder scene in his hotel room), and that is no backhanded compliment, as the cold opens were a rare consistent bright spot this season.