A few years ago, I started watching The Office and halfway through the first episode I was left with a straight face and feelings of confusion. This is the show everyone is obsessed with? I didn’t understand. Now, years later, I’ve given it a second chance and found myself binging all nine seasons with a smile on my face. If you didn’t find The Office entertaining on your first watch, here are the four reasons why I did a complete 180° pivot from being a hater of The Office.
1. Comedy
The main reason I was initially a hater of The Office was that I just didn’t find the show funny. To be fair, I had only watched half of the first episode before coming to this conclusion. However, as I continued to watch, I found myself laughing uncontrollably, especially when it came to Dwight Schrute and Michael Scott. These characters seem to have no self-awareness and no idea of how to act in many social settings. While Michael’s offensive jokes may be controversial, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t laugh at his boldness to say them out loud in uncomfortable situations. As for Dwight, his extreme acts—like initiating a fake fire drill and killing a cat—are accompanied by his genuine good intentions that make for one of the best sitcoms I’ve watched.
2. Familiarity
I find the most unique aspect of The Office to be the relationship that viewers can develop with characters. There is a familiarity the characters have with the camera and ultimately us, as viewers. Whether it be glancing at the camera in the middle of a tenuous conversation or sitting down to share their thoughts with the camera, the characters involve the audience in the situation. Throughout the show, it becomes apparent that the characters are more than just co-workers, they’re a family. By talking to the camera, it’s as if the characters are recognizing their closeness to the audience, just like they do with their co-workers.
3. Relatability
We’ve all been in that awkward situation where something or someone is strange around us and we turn to others looking for cues of confirmation that it really isthat strange and we can react. Many times, that confirmation is nowhere to be found. However, in The Office, that confirmation is always there. As the ‘normal’ character, Jim’s turn to the camera cues a sigh of relief for the audience by confirming that the cringeworthy situations are in fact, cringeworthy.
4. Jim and Pam’s Relationship
One of the best and most captivating storylines on the show is the relationship between the characters Jim and Pam. As the audience, we start by rooting for Jim to get into a relationship with Pam in the first season. From the beginning, it’s clear that Jim is in love with Pam and that Pam is suppressing her reciprocal feelings for him. Throughout the show, there are many obstacles in their way, whether that be Pam’s fiancé, Roy, or Jim’s relocation. However, their amazing chemistry is obvious in every interaction and Jim’s persistence is enough for us to know that they will eventually end up together. In addition to their chemistry, the story of their relationship is largely realistic, which is rare in most television shows. Although both characters have feelings for each other, it isn’t enough to make them get together right off the bat. Instead, they wait for each other and go through emotional ups and downs to eventually find their way to each other. The slow burn romance between these two characters alone is enough motivation to continue watching the show.
After watching all nine seasons of The Office, I’m glad that I gave the show a second chance. It just goes to show that if you initially hated a show, with a little optimism, and a second chance, it might just end up being one of your new favourite shows.