The Office: Episode 139 – The List

• The Writer and Directed by – B.J. Novak
• A brief synopsis – The new boss is Robert California…who convinces Jo to give up her job, and promptly hires Andy to be the new boss.  Next thing you know, Erin happens on a list of the entire office staff divided into left and right columns.
• The best line – “Andy: Just to show you I’m being fair, you had Gabe in the losers column…I think that is astute. Good call.“
• The best moment – Meredith planking in the restroom: twice.  Once on the floor in front of the men’s urinal.
• The best storyline – Pam is crying constantly, and watching that “Trouble” commercial.  You know, with the dog that only wants to protect his bone.  She is pregnant again…and Angela is pregnant with the Senator.
• Notable guest appearance – James Spader is back again.  As CEO.  He’s going to be around a while.
• Grade – B-

Season 8 starts with a slight stumble.  There are some good aspects, like the new boss being hired from within the group, not one but two pregnant characters and…well not much else.  In going with a new CEO as a “name” and one of the staff within the group, they are kind of cheating.  The dynamic for the first episode is immediately torn asunder with the revelation of the list’s purpose.  I get that they got rid of Jordan, but wasn’t Gabe sent back to Florida?  Why is he still here?  There is plenty of good to this episode, and Spader has some good lines, but the logic of why someone convincing someone in Florida to give him her job as CEO and then coming up to a conference room in Scranton, Pennsylvania to do that job is just poor logic and awkward.  We get the awkward part.