The Office: "Training Day"

Season 7, Episode 20

A look at the first Will Ferrell-iffic episode

“And that is what they call a meet-cute”

-Kelly

I suppose your general reaction to tonight’s episode could be summed up by your response to the cold open. Did you find you find the antics of Ferrell and Carell to be cute and funny, or did you find it broad and trying? Me, I’m a little bit Column A and Column B. While I found this sequence – and the episode at large – to be cute, it wasn’t very funny, and for a show that used to make me laugh so hard, that’s problematic.

Yet that really wasn’t what bothered me about tonight’s episode (and what will probably bug me about future episodes); instead I was really unnerved by Ferrell’s character, Deangelo Vickers. Please note that it was the character itself, and not Ferrell’s performance, which I found to be surprisingly subdued, given that he was probably hired to play a “Will Ferrell type,” which probably explains why the performance was still within the Will Ferrell Range of Acting. No, I was mostly bothered by the way the character was deployed.  Deangelo is essentially a Michael Scott-lite, a guy with a the same goofy, work disrupting sense of humor, yet who is also just a bit more professional, who is able to listen to his employees and gain their respect. (Okay, that last point may be debatable, but we’ll get to that in a minute.)

But why even have someone is mostly just another version of the boss we already know? We know that Ferrell isn’t even going to last the season, so what the harm in having his character be something different? But what really worries me is whether Deangelo’s characterization is meant to be some sort of statement on what Michael’s permanent replacement is going to be like (assuming it’s someone outside of the current cast). Michael’s replacement can’t be a Scott-lite, not only because Carell has perfected the persona over the years so that any other actor’s attempt to step into the role will pale by comparisons, but also because any storylines about the office adjusting to a new boss – because you know such a story is going to happen – then they need a boss who ACTUALLY DIFFERENT.

The other problem – though one that is mostly just related to this episode – is how the office reacted to Deangelo’s presence tonight. My cable’s provider’s guide gave the following description for this episode: “Everyone hopes to make a good first impression with the new manager.”  The problem with this description – and in fact the episode – is that it is never made clear whether the rest of the office is trying to impress Deangelo because they actually respect him as a boss or because they are just sucking up. Either way, it doesn’t really make sense, given that the office as whole has grown tired of their antics and thus wouldn’t logically accept a replacement who is quite similar to Michael, and through all of their years with Michael, they know how to handle/impress him, so why should it be so hard with Deangelo?

Tonight The Office through characterization out the window, in what was sadly not the first time for the series. I had hoped that Michael’s departure would cause the writer’s to hone their skills – like they did in the last episode – but apparently that’s not the case. The next few weeks are going to be rough.

What did everybody else think?

Additional Thoughts:

“It’s a lot to process…paper-wise.”

“This is Jim and Pam, AKA ‘Jap.’”

“Are you kidding? I’d go anywhere to see a turtle.”

“I guess this is my life now.”

“I missed the OJ verdict. I had to read it in the paper like an idiot.”