The Office star and writer Mindy Kaling recently said that the blockbuster cringe comedy would not survive in today's social and political climate. Perhaps it is for the best that the final season of the show aired in 2013. The Office season 9 was universally loved by most fans, but the writers erred in certain ways which dimmed the shine of the mockumentary's swan song.
The destruction of characters like Andy was rued by viewers, as well as some storylines like Pam's encounter with lice. The last season wrapped up the show well, but if it had avoided these mistakes, it had the potential of becoming the best season of The Office.
Ruining Andy Bernard's Character
Andy began as a character who was hated and then loved, but Ed Helms' absence in season 9 completely undid all of his character development. Andy went away on a sudden vacation and came back a poor caricature of who he used to be.
A graceful exit would have been better for his character, rather than completely wrecking all of his relationships with the other characters on the show, mainly David Wallace and Erin. He was too important in the show to get such treatment.
Brian The Boom Guy's Arc With Pam
Jim and Pam's relationship was revered in The Office universe, so throwing a wrench in their perfect romance towards the end of the show made no sense. Brian appeared out of nowhere, and the show had never shown him in earlier seasons.
Pam had been steadfastly devoted to Jim for years, and her sudden emotional affair with Brian was completely out of character. The couple had enough problems, without throwing Brian randomly in the mix. It would have been better to actually focus on the couple without adding in a never before seen character.
Kelly Running Away With Ryan
The Office changed vastly from its first season, but Kelly's flighty nature remained largely unchanged. It was heartening to see her grow up and end up with a stable man during Dwight and Angela's wedding, but her growth was reversed when she ran away with Ryan, again.
It would have been great closure to the whole saga if Kelly had rejected Ryan and carried on with her new life. Leaving a baby and running away with a toxic ex-flame was unnecessary and regressive for both characters.
Making Pam A Liar
Season 9 was very eager to paint Pam in a worse light than she deserved, and making her a blatant liar in The Office season 9, episode 10 "Lice" didn't sit well with many fans. It was unlike Pam to deny responsibility for her mistakes, much less dump it on Meredith who Pam barely interacted with.
Lines were crossed when she stood by as Meredith shaved her head to combat the lice she supposedly brought in, and her apology didn't cut it either.
Not Getting Michael Back Sooner
Michael Scott was the soul of the show, and when he left, it changed dramatically. The Office didn't fair poorly with him away, but bringing Scott back in the final season seemed fitting. Alas, it was not meant to be.
Michael was largely forgotten once he left the show and only returned for a fleeting cameo right at the end. It would have been a hit final outing if the writers managed to bring Carrell back for a final hurrah earlier in the season.
Jim And Pam's Fighting
Fans love this couple, but Jim and Pam made them cringe when they started bickering about Philadelphia and the future of their relationship. The friction between them was too sudden, and Jim became rather adamant, which was the opposite of what he was supposed to be.
This aspect of their relationship could have been introduced in an earlier season, instead of weakening them just as the show started coming to an end.
Pointless New Characters
It seemed as though the final season was in the business of setting up a reboot or continuation of the series, instead of rounding it off well. New characters like Clark and Pete were introduced as stand-ins for Dwight and Jim, but they didn't pack a punch.
The arcs of these characters went nowhere and provided little to no comic relief. Even Erin and Pete's romance was sidelined and died out eventually. This screen time could have been used for other, important plot points.
Dwight's Backdoor Pilot
The Office season 9, episode 17 "The Farm" served as a backdoor pilot for a potential series about Dwight, Mose, and his life on his beet farm, but it distracted from the impending conclusion of the show.
The episode was clunky, nonsensical, and unentertaining, which explained why the show never took off. The final season focussed too much on the future, instead of tackling the original series itself.
Kevin's Descent Into Silliness
Brian Baumgartner's Kevin began as a mildly silly character, who was otherwise uncannily sharp and talented: his basketball skills, gambling prowess, and incident with his dog being the biggest evidence of this.
However, as the show progressed, Kevin was made duller and duller, until he became absolutely vapid in the final season. It was a waste of a great character for cheap comic relief.
Oscar's Affair
Oscar was a man who staunchly stuck to his morals, but for some reason, he acted very differently in the last season. He had previously condemned cheating but had no qualms about being the third person in a relationship.
What made it worse was that he knew Angela for years, yet chose to do this to her. It made no sense for the usually righteous Oscar to take this path, and with little to no attachment to the Senator.
Nellie Taking Andy's Job
Andy's character took a turn for the worse, and Nellie's absurd usurpation of his position as regional manager was a big reason why. It could have worked as a prank, but certainly should not have in a serious sense.
Nellie just announcing that she was the manager was unfair, as was the handling of the situation. This plotline could have been skipped entirely for something more worthwhile. Again, the focus could be on the characters without throwing in another random twist that just didn't make sense.
Source:gamerant.com