First and Foremost: The Awesome Cast of Characters
The Office pulls of something fascinating: its characters seem to be both cartoonish and very, very real.
For example: Who among us hasn’t met an odd, intense person in a work or customer service environment who makes you think, “Wow, they are SUCH a Dwight?” Or perhaps you’ve sat in a conference meeting that goes on too long, and you wish there was a camera to look at sarcastically a la Jim Halpert?
The employees of The Office are far from perfect, but that’s what makes them feel like actual people. The cast isn’t populated with freakishly good-looking established superstars, but it’s full of people who are likely to remind us of the cast of characters in our own everyday lives. Everyone has their own quirks on The Office: from Stanley’s crosswords to Pam’s choice of Jellybeans to Dwight’s increasingly bizarre beet farm backstories, each character is so well-drawn that they feel like they could be viewers’ real friends and colleagues!
It Holds Up A Mirror To Everyday Life
During my latest binge through the middle seasons, I’ve come to realize that The Office is one of our culture’s top most-re-watched shows because it holds up a mirror to both the micro everyday occurrences and macro societal issues that we live through.
On the micro level, it makes those of us in average day-to-day jobs feel seen and appreciated.
Coworker making you frustrated? Just re-watch the conflict resolution episode and Michael’s failed attempts at a win/win/win outcome, and you’ll feel better!
Your cubicle neighbor won’t stop humming? Soothe your spirit by watching the clip of Jim hiding Andy’s phone with a Rockin’ Robin ringtone in the ceiling tiles!
However, The Office doesn’t get nearly enough credit (in my opinion) for the ways it holds up a mirror to bigger cultural issues. To be clear, I’m not talking about how the show handles sexual harassment or diversity issues—always do the opposite of whatever Michael Scott does in these cases!
Rather, it’s fascinating to witness how The Office included plotlines of company insolvency and mergers during the immediate aftermath of the 2009 housing market crisis and recession. It turns out The Office is a perfect comedy vehicle to explore personal and cultural issues!