NBC’s ‘The Office’ series finale review: Jim, Pam, surprises, and the final curtain
“The Office” built up to its finale all season long, and in saying goodbye to the show that we’ve all known and loved for almost a decade, it’s hard to do anything other than tear up a little bit. NBC and the show’s producers did a wonderful job of setting this up. Sometimes, finales are not necessarily meant to be some sort of artistic representation. Instead, it is a thank-you to the fans for all of the time and devotion that they have showed in watching over the years.
It was a powerful, funny, but emotional episode. We don’t really even know how to process it all given that this was a nine-year journey summed up in 75 minutes. So with that, we’re just going to start off here by sharing where all of the characters are now.
Dwight and Angela – Yep, they’re finally married. It was a pretty quirky ceremony that was perfect for what this relationship is: Plus, this event set up many of the surprise arrivals of the night.
Jim and Pam – After staying in Scranton for so long, Jim and Pam have finally decided to make the move in order to follow his dreams. They’re Austin-bound, and she seems to be genuinely excited about having a new future.
Erin – In a small moment, she learned who her real parents were.
Kelly and Ryan – Thanks to them attending the wedding, we learned that Ryan was a father, but was quick to abandon the baby in order to run off with his longtime love. The only thing that really served as payoff in here? Seeing Nellie end up with his child.
Andy – He did not get his happy ending with Erin, but he managed to take his status as America’s laughingstock after a bad reality TV audition and turn it into a positive.
Creed – Everyone finally learned who Creed Bratton really was including the fact that he was in the band “The Grassroots”. Such a lovely, full-circle moment for what has long been a great inside joke over the years.
Michael Scott – He was only around for a few minutes, but when he was there, it was everything that we could have hoped for and then some. Stepping in as Dwight’s best man at his wedding to Angela was inspired.
Kevin – Dwight at first fired him because he was terrible at his job, but they ended up getting along at the end of the day, and Kevin went on to open a bar.
Some of the others – Oscar’s running for public office, Stanley is retired in Florida, and Phyllis just seems to be Phyllis. The only character we wish had more closure was Toby besides moving to New York, but his character was always kind of sad to begin with so why would that change now?
We have a feeling that this is an hour that we will remember for quite a long time, and it will cling to our heart like all of the Dunder-Mifflin memories have over the years. It was sad, it was sweet, but it was perfect in the end.
What was your take on the series finale? If you want to read some more reflections from the cast, all you have to do is click here.
Photo: NBC
Phil
May 17, 2013 @ 3:10 am
I really hate to say this! I was disappointed with this finale. I will start with the biggest disappointment, because, it is really the only one that matters. Michael Scott only had two lines, seriously. Steve is the whole reason I watched the show! Granted, over the years I grew to love other characters, mainly the hilarious Kevin. However, Michael needed to be more involved in the finale. He was not in the closing interviews, and, he was not on the panel. Also, the audience, seriously, had no questions about Michael Scott. So, this was one of the disappointing things about the finale. However, there were other things that I was disappointed in. The show tried to bring closure to all the characters, which, I think left many things without closure, or, the proper ending. The finale seemed to be all for Jim and Pam, which, was a good part of the show. However, they were never the reason I watched the show. I was rooting more for Erin and Andy, and, they broke up earlier in the season. Also, Toby was not treated well. Not even a mention of Robert California, who, I was never a fan of. He still deserved a mention. Also, Dwight had some moments. However, I felt like he was even not a major part of the finale, really, and, it was his wedding. The show had its touching moments. However, I feel the ending was rushed and did not flow well, together. Phyllis was the only character that I was satisfied with in the finale.
Laeddis
May 17, 2013 @ 2:41 am
I’ve loved this show all its years, and although there were certainly episodes and seasons that didn’t hold up to its origin the fundamental values and laughter this show both upheld and provided impacted so many fans. You can see it in the reactions of the actors as they are interviewed after closing out the final season and how even off the air it seemed that the sense of community within the show really carried over into reality, and I think that’s really what made the show flourish. Every viewer felt this identification with the characters, and even though the ridiculous scenarios might not be reflective of true reality, there’s bits and pieces of each character that remind us of people in our own lives, and it’s the dynamics and progression of the characters that move the show forward and move our appreciation for their work forward. I thought the finale was quite good, especially as sort of this bitter-sweet end to what has made me laugh so hard over the years as I’ve grown up and changed. I can’t recall another show that I’ve felt as attached to and though it’s hard to say goodbye I really feel as though the episode gave The Office the ending it deserved. It comes full-circle, and the final goodbyes in each interview toward the very end of the episodes by each character really sum up a lot of meaningful pieces of advice. While those characters reconcile how time has passed so quickly, the viewer also is reflecting: “Wow, has it really been ~10 years since I started watching the show?” And that’s something incredible. So glad to see the show ending strong, even though I’ve loved it so much!