The Office - "Lotto"

Season 8, Episode 3

When the focus moves away from Andy, he somehow becomes stronger

Okay, now this? This is the kind of episode I was expecting, the kind of episode that actually shows how different Andy is from Michael, and I hope that this will be the template they use for him going forward. While watching the episode, I came up with this theory that maybe the show is trying to show how Andy evolves in his position as head of the office in the first part of the season, and I hope to God that that theory is correct. As much as I disliked Andy serving as Michael Scott 2.0 in the first two episodes of the season, I would forgive the show if they were trying to show an Andy that was unsure of the position, and was slowing figuring what it is that he does best as a boss. Because, as of this episode, it seems as if he has found it.

Last week, I wondered why the show didn’t seem intent on using the fact that Andy was at one point a peer and a friend to the people that he now resides over, as it only seemed logical that that would be an aspect of the dynamic he has with them. But The Office has really been known for having a consistent logic; Michael Scott’s level of competence, for example, would often fluctuate based on who was writing for him, especially in the later seasons of the show, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the same thing happened with Andy this season.

But the thing is, I don’t want to be surprised. I like the version of Andy we saw here, and not just the aggressive side that was presented in the third act. No, even prior to that, even if he was acting awkward and sheepish, Andy was still more aggressive and more effective at getting things done than Michael ever was, and the biggest laughs for me came not from his inability to get things done, but the personal struggle he had to go through in order to be an effective boss. And seeing that happened just made everything else that happened in the office feel just a little bit fresher.

Of course, I cannot deny that part of the reason this probably happened is that the episode’s focus was more on Daryl than it was Andy, which sort of gives a bit more credence to my theory that the show is going for an arc during which Andy steadily improves in his new role. Here, when the show was no longer focused on what Andy was doing, but was instead focused on other people in the office, it didn’t seem so concerned with Andy’s process. He just was the boss, and the boss that he was is far more effective and different than Michael Scott.

Unfortunately, a pristine version of Andy would only go so far to help fix a show that is probably beyond repair at this point. After seven seasons, it can be hard to come up with storylines that feel original, especially considering that you’ve run through every possible character possible (or it at least feels like it). And on that level, “Lotto” was a bit of a misfire. While I enjoyed watching the various office drones discuss what they would do if they won the lottery – it what seemed like a return of the shows “whatever you have to do to get through the day” theme – I wasn’t too big on the side plot that saw Jim, Dwight, Erin, and Kevin stuck in the office. While I’ll admit that I laughed a few times at the story (especially when Kevin slipped on the grease), on the whole it required the characters to act a lot stupider than was believable – Dwight driving the forklift into the door, none of them thinking of using a dolly to move the stacks of paper – just generally ruined the plot for me.

The Office is in a place where it could, theoretically, make a turn around and start telling fresh, original stories, the likes of which garnered its fan base in the first place. Instead, Paul Liberstein and Co. seem intent on mostly delivering the same beats over and over again, to the show’s creative detriment. Creating a believable and entertaining version of Andy is one thing, but trying to mine fresh stories out of an overworked concept is another monster entirely.