Why I love The Office - Part 1
So, a few people on my f-list who shall remain nameless have been bashing the US version of The Office, and they simply don't get why I love it so much. So, obviously, this calls for an emergency pic/vidspam. Now, don't get me wrong, you all have a right to love the UK version and not like the US version, I have no problem with that, but never, NEVER say that the US version "sucks" or that it isn't worthy of the original, because this couldn't be further from the truth. Something that is so brilliantly written and so beautifully acted does not deserve the disdain that it gets. If you look at the show as its own entity, you'd probably find that it's not so bad. The humor is different than the British version, mostly because the US censors won't allow that level of raunchiness, but also because a lot of that humor just doesn't translate to the American workplace. So, without further ado, this is why The Office means so much to me.
Part I - The Characters
First and foremost, the complex characters are what evoke so much passion in me. They are all deeply flawed, but for some reason, you can't help but love them, usually because of their flaws.
1. Michael Scott
This man is the main reason why I love the show so much (well, he was until Andy came along). Michael, at first, appears to be this pathetic, ignorant, self-centered individual, and if you don't know his motivations, then he can really turn you away from the show. But if you keep watching, and if you look past all of that, you'll see a lost child. He's a 10-year-old trapped in a 45-year-old man's body. He is what I would call innocently obnoxious. He doesn't know that he's being rude or inappropriate. Most of the time he's just trying to get a laugh out of somebody, but his jokes are so HORRIBLE or offensive that he fails miserably. Michael's #1 motivation is to be loved. He wants to be loved by everyone, and he tries so hard, so very hard (that's what she said), that he ends up being loved by no one (except for Dwight). He's like that annoying kid on the playground that didn't have any friends at all and he'd try to tag along with you and your friends, and he's so fragile that you let him for awhile because you feel sorry for him, but then his overzealousness and the awkwardness that he causes by his need to be involved in every little thing and him telling you that you're doing it all wrong gets on your nerves until you can't take it anymore, so you try to ditch him but you can't get rid of him, so you yell at him and tell him that you can't stand him and he still doesn't get the message, so then you're super harsh to him and he runs off crying and then you feel lousy and now you just want to hug him and make him feel better... he's that kid. Michael can be an incredibly huge jerk, but most times I just want to rock him in my arms and protect him from the world. When he hurts, I hurt. When he's happy, I'm happy. When he's in despair, so am I. In fact, I think that's why I hated Money so much. Michael was so miserable and I felt it so acutely that I just couldn't take it. He's just... he's wonderful. I love him with all my heart, and I just want him to achieve happiness. The problem is, he's attracted to shiny things that can never love him back, so he ends up being miserable and trying to convince himself that he's happy. His need to be loved is both his greatest redeeming quality and his greatest weakness. The greatest tragedy is that if he didn't try so hard, people would actually like him. He has these small moments of brilliance that surprise people, and Michael never even realizes it. Oh, Michael. Also, his genuine love of his employees (except for Toby) is quite touching, as is his loyalty to Dunder-Mifflin. This video sums up my view of him pretty well:
Man, I always get teary-eyed at the end. And, that song choice was marvelous, because Michael wants to be Superman so badly. He wants the glory, he wants the love, he wants the superpowers, but in reality, he's just a man, a very flawed, lonely man. :'( Also, he does ridiculously funny things and says ridiculously funny lines. This is by far my favorite Michael screw-up:
I just love how he's so excited and so obnoxiously confident, and then BAM! He gets taken down by his own naivete. &hearts
2. Dwight Schrute
Dwight is the geek of all geeks. The BSG loving, Heroes worshipping, Lost addicted, bobble-head collecting, beet farming geek. He's also Michael's #2 and would do absolutely anything for him. He's turned on by bureaucratic power. He wants it and he loves anyone who has it. People who aren't serious about whatever he's doing isn't worth his time. He lives for rules and structure. He's also kind of a dick. But he's a lovable dick. And a self proclaimed idiot (but only because Michael calls him an idiot. If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have listened). What I admire most about Dwight is his attitude. He simply doesn't care what anyone thinks of him. He's doing his thing, and if you don't like it, then get out of his way. The only opinions that matter to him are those of the people that he cares the most about (Michael and Angela). Dwight's downfall is that he takes EVERYTHING way too seriously. He considers himself more important than he actually is. And this is why his unconditional love of Michael is his saving grace. In Michael's presence, he displays humility and a passionate need to please and to be accepted, and all too often he gets mistreated by Michael, but he keeps on loving Michael, no matter how many times his heart and hopes get crushed. His fierce devotion to all that he loves is both his greatest redeeming factor and his greatest weakness. He loves whole-heartedly and with so much passion that he can be a little overwhelming. This quality is actually pretty similar to Michael, but the difference is that Dwight genuinely wants to please whoever he loves, whereas Michael just wants to be loved. For Michael, it's all about him, it's always selfish love. For Dwight, it's all about the other person, it's a generous love. I adore him. &hearts But his sense of reality is pretty warped. He thinks Jack Bauer, superheroes, and vampires are real, hence part of the reason why Michael calls him an idiot.
My favorite Dwight moments (stupid YouTube keeps rejecting the vid, so I had to upload it to imeem. The serial killer clip especially makes me crack up like crazy, and the ping pong one is just Dwight being his sexy self and I couldn't resist including it):
3. ANDY BERNARD!!!!
He's just your all-around unintentional goofball. I love this man with a fierce, Dwight-like devotion. He's just so me without being me. He has this ridiculous enthusiasm for anything that is awesome, and his positivity is what keeps him going. Andy is a lot like Michael in the sense that he tries too hard to be accepted, the difference is that Andy doesn't need to be loved by everyone, just... someone, anyone. And it doesn't even have to be love, just a general acceptance. He needs to matter in some way, to be a part of something. At times he can be ruthless and conniving and he's the biggest suck up that you'll ever find, but at the same time he's highly insecure, quite oblivious, and incredibly sweet. His obliviousness saves him from realizing that nobody likes him, and his positivity creates this warped view of the world where everyone is his buddy and he could nail any girl he wants to, but he also has a certain knack for picking people that he knows he can wear down, and he feels like he can only win acceptance basically by bribing people (in essence). He's deeply afraid of being himself, so he copies the other person's personality, adopts their likes and dislikes, and basically goes along with whatever the other person wants from him. The two things that he always retains is his intense love of a cappella and his pride in going to Cornell. These two things are what defines Andy Bernard in Andy Bernard's head. It's recognition, status, and that's what he thinks he needs to succeed. Andy's obliviousness tends to be quite distressing to himself, because too often he is completely baffled as to what's going on, and he hates not knowing if he's the butt of a joke or if he's missing out on something, and many times people play with his head, and when he realizes that people do this to him, he is completely crushed, heart and soul. The enthusiasm is sucked out of him, the positivity gone, and all that's left is either rage or loneliness. I've ranted about the cell phone prank many times, so I won't get into that now, but that crushed his spirit. That killed a part of him and he came back a new man. A little more aware, a little less free with the intensity of his enthusiasm, and a little less ambitious. Was it for the better? Maybe. But I loved Andy immensely pre cell phone prank, and I still adore him like crazy post cell phone prank, but sometimes I miss that fighting spirit that he used to have. The rage that was always bubbling underneath the surface. Anyway, Andy is simply amazing, and no character has ever affected me the way that he does. I identify with him so much that it scares me sometimes. Luckily I don't feel the need to matter quite as much as he does. But the enthusiasm and positivity and surprising rage? That's me. I also tend to be slightly oblivious, but I'm much more self-aware than Andy. The a cappella? Not me. But it turns me on.
My Andy video from last year:
&hearts &hearts &hearts &hearts &hearts
And because Andy gets the greatest lines known to man:
4. Ryan Howard
Okay, I'm going to be honest. I wasn't the biggest Ryan fan until season 4 when he turned into a corporate, heartless version of Michael. Before that he was just so... uncaring, thought of himself as above everyone else, so self aware that it was almost crippling, and just a jerk in general. A frat boy. Prettiest in the office. He was so desperate to not become Michael that he ended up becoming Michael, only 10 times worse, because he was too much of a douche to see all the things that Michael did right and only noticed the things that he did wrong. Ryan uses and manipulates people. He used Kelly to pass the time till he moved on from Scranton, he manipulates Michael for his own needs, and he is driven by his fear of failure. Despite his general jerkiness, he's somehow gained my love, especially in season 4. Perhaps it's his sarcastic wit, but I think it's mostly that I loved watching him fail so massively. I guess it's easier to love a failure than an ambitious weasel.
5. Stanley Hudson
"You cannot take the hilarious black guy from the office. Stanley is part of what makes this branch so extraordinary. The bluesy wisdom, the sassy remarks, the crossword puzzles, the smile, those big watery red eyes. I don't know how George Bush did it when Colin Powell left, and if Utica thinks that they are going to poach Stanley, they have another thing coming." ~ Michael Scott
I think that says it all really. Hee. Stanley is the quiet guy that just wants to be left alone so that he can do his work and go home. If you bother him, you'll have to face his wrath, and you don't want that. He's scary when he's angry. What I love about Stanley is that he's always so droll. SO bored in the most hilarious way. Nothing phases him. The building's on fire? He'll walk out doing his crossword puzzle. Michael and Dwight being insane? He'll just roll his eyes. Pretzel Day? Well, that phases him. It's the one thing in his life that brings him complete joy. I think it's the only time he's ever smiled, actually. I can't find any Stanley montages, so you'll have to settle for these:
Oooooh, I love Stanley. He gets a lot of my biggest laughs, actually.
6. Kevin Malone
He's just this lovable big lug that's a little slow on the uptake and harmless as harmless can be. He giggles. At really immature stuff. I'm pretty sure he and I would be great friends. He also has a gambling problem, and his fiance of quite a few years has just left him, and hates anything that involves strenuous exercise. Mostly, he manages to find the funny in everything. He just loves being amused, and it's the little things in life that bring him happiness, like winning the parking lot back, or shredding things, or cake, or annoying Angela. He's pretty much just along for the ride, any ride. I love him.
Kevin/Holly scenes from the S4 finale - Probably Kevin's best episode &hearts
7. Angela Martin
Feisty little blond. The tightass of the office. The strictly religious one. She's another character that loves rules and structure, and if you break these rules or are in any way nonconforment to her ideals, then she automatically hates you. To be honest, I have a sort of love/hate thing for Angela, especially since she started dating Andy. I adore her, but I wouldn't want to have to suffer her criticisms and snide remarks every day. Anyway, she digs rules, and she's wickedly turned on by bureaucratic power, so it's no wonder that she and Dwight got together sometime in season 2 and were the most stable relationship on the show until season 4, despite their incredibly kinky escapades. She's basically a wound up, cat-loving, goody-two-shoes on the surface, but when you look beyond that, she's wickedly horny for Dwight, she's very conniving, she's afraid of revealing too much of herself to people, and she can be quite sensitive about the things that she cares about. Whenever we get a moment of compassion out of Angela, it's simply amazing, because it's such a rare thing to see.
8. Phyllis Lapin
She's the harmless looking one, the shy one, the motherly one... on the surface. In reality she has a hopping love life and she loves to gossip and she can be quite spiteful when you least expect it. Andy doesn't trust her, and, I have to say, his claim isn't completely out of the blue. But Phyllis is also pretty sweet most of the time and a bit of a pushover and you can't help but feel bad when people yell at her or take advantage of her. She likes to believe the best in people. Angela Martin is her main nemesis, and often some of the funniest scenes are between them. I don't really know why, but I love Phyllis like crazy. She's just so calm and quiet that whenever she does the unexpected, I giggle like crazy. Oh, and she married Bob Vance Vance Refrigeration in season 3 and they probably have the most normal relationship on the show.
A few of my favorite Phyllis and/or Angela scenes:
9. Meredith Palmer
She's the office drunk. This is the one character that I feel hasn't been very well fleshed out, even after 4 years. She's divorced, her kid's a delinquent, she sleeps with anything that moves, she's obscene, she drinks a lot, she gets hit by cars and footballs and gets bitten by rabid animals. Have I mentioned that she's a drunk? I love her, but sadly the majority of her best scenes get cut for time, which ends up making her somewhat insignificant, which is sad, because the actress is quite funny. I have to say, my favorite Meredith scenes are the ones that she shares with Creed, and... I kind of ship Meredith/Creed, only... they're disgusting enough on their own. Put them together? It might traumatize some viewers. But they're quite perfect for each other. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they slept together in the past and neither one remembers.
10. Kelly Kapoor
She's the cute one, the perpetual teenager, the one obsessed with NSYNC and Leonardo DeCaprio and TomKat and Brangelina. And she'll talk your head off about the most incessant things. She's also the biggest drama queen of the office (well... unless you count Michael). She's just plain adorable and SO enthusiastic and perky, and she's quite like Michael with her self-centeredness and her intense love of Ryan. Of course, she loves the idea of Ryan more than Ryan himself. She wants the cute boyfriend who will then become her cute husband so that they can have lots and lots of cute babies together. But Ryan is so the wrong guy for that. She throws her whole heart into everything that matters to her. I love her. &hearts And she loves Beyonce, pink the color, Pink the person, hot dogs, basically anything that is awesome, snow cones...
11. Toby Flenderson
Michael's arch nemesis. Why? Nobody really knows. Probably because he's HR, and HR represents rules and restrictions that Michael doesn't want to follow, so he blames Toby since Toby is the enforcer. But... Michael has so much bile for Toby that you'd think it was personal. Toby is basically a sad sack. He's quiet and non-threatening and generally likable but kind of forgettable in The Office world, mostly because Michael tries to exclude him from everything as much as humanly possible. Toby has such hopeful disparity, and that's basically the essence of Toby. He's miserable but he still hopes for better despite knowing that he'll always be unlucky. I actually think that's how he put up with Michael for so long. He keeps believing that one day Michael won't be so horrible, but that day never comes. He's just so... pathetic. You laugh at his misery, but at the same time, you just want to give him a hug. Oh, Toby. &hearts
Season 1 and 2 Michael vs Toby
12. Creed Bratton
The creepy old guy that did too many drugs in the 60s. He's the most random person in the entire world, you never really know what's going to come out of his mouth. Sometimes it's hilarious, and sometimes it's just perplexing. I adore Creed, but not quite as much as fandom does. He's awesome, of course, but he can be hit or miss with me. But he's pretty adorable for being a creepy old guy. &hearts
13. Oscar Martinez
He takes things a little too seriously sometimes. He's definitely a snob, but at the same time, he can be very self-deprecating, which is probably why I love him so much. And not only is he the Mexican minority in the office, he's also the gay guy. This lends itself to much humorous awkwardness for him and Michael. For Oscar, it's more about letting the other crazy characters play off of him, so he's pretty subtle (by Office standards). I just love how he'll get so hot and bothered about something, and then he'll just accept the way things are in the end. He's awesome.
14. Jim Halpert and Pam Beesley
I'm not too big on Jim and Pam. But I have quite a few friends who are. And about 99.1% of fandom is all "ZOMG JIM AND PAM TRU LUV 4EVR!!!!11!!" but... you know how I hate that crap. I don't like the obvious, schmoopy ships that I know 100% will happen, and that was pretty much Jim and Pam from day 1. But I am in the incredibly tiny minority there. I don't have a lot of lovely things to say about these two, so I'll just leave it at that.
Here's a vid, you know, if you like that sort of thing.
*arrogant sniff* Nope, didn't affect me. Shut up, I did not hold my breath during that scene. Okay, so I liked them in Chair Model, but that's about it. And I like their scenes with the other characters, particularly Michael.
In the next segment I will bring you the heart-wrenching relationships and moments that made me cry (or... moments that touched my heart and made me tear up a little bit).
Part I - The Characters
First and foremost, the complex characters are what evoke so much passion in me. They are all deeply flawed, but for some reason, you can't help but love them, usually because of their flaws.
1. Michael Scott
This man is the main reason why I love the show so much (well, he was until Andy came along). Michael, at first, appears to be this pathetic, ignorant, self-centered individual, and if you don't know his motivations, then he can really turn you away from the show. But if you keep watching, and if you look past all of that, you'll see a lost child. He's a 10-year-old trapped in a 45-year-old man's body. He is what I would call innocently obnoxious. He doesn't know that he's being rude or inappropriate. Most of the time he's just trying to get a laugh out of somebody, but his jokes are so HORRIBLE or offensive that he fails miserably. Michael's #1 motivation is to be loved. He wants to be loved by everyone, and he tries so hard, so very hard (that's what she said), that he ends up being loved by no one (except for Dwight). He's like that annoying kid on the playground that didn't have any friends at all and he'd try to tag along with you and your friends, and he's so fragile that you let him for awhile because you feel sorry for him, but then his overzealousness and the awkwardness that he causes by his need to be involved in every little thing and him telling you that you're doing it all wrong gets on your nerves until you can't take it anymore, so you try to ditch him but you can't get rid of him, so you yell at him and tell him that you can't stand him and he still doesn't get the message, so then you're super harsh to him and he runs off crying and then you feel lousy and now you just want to hug him and make him feel better... he's that kid. Michael can be an incredibly huge jerk, but most times I just want to rock him in my arms and protect him from the world. When he hurts, I hurt. When he's happy, I'm happy. When he's in despair, so am I. In fact, I think that's why I hated Money so much. Michael was so miserable and I felt it so acutely that I just couldn't take it. He's just... he's wonderful. I love him with all my heart, and I just want him to achieve happiness. The problem is, he's attracted to shiny things that can never love him back, so he ends up being miserable and trying to convince himself that he's happy. His need to be loved is both his greatest redeeming quality and his greatest weakness. The greatest tragedy is that if he didn't try so hard, people would actually like him. He has these small moments of brilliance that surprise people, and Michael never even realizes it. Oh, Michael. Also, his genuine love of his employees (except for Toby) is quite touching, as is his loyalty to Dunder-Mifflin. This video sums up my view of him pretty well:
Click to viewMan, I always get teary-eyed at the end. And, that song choice was marvelous, because Michael wants to be Superman so badly. He wants the glory, he wants the love, he wants the superpowers, but in reality, he's just a man, a very flawed, lonely man. :'( Also, he does ridiculously funny things and says ridiculously funny lines. This is by far my favorite Michael screw-up:
I just love how he's so excited and so obnoxiously confident, and then BAM! He gets taken down by his own naivete. &hearts
2. Dwight Schrute
Dwight is the geek of all geeks. The BSG loving, Heroes worshipping, Lost addicted, bobble-head collecting, beet farming geek. He's also Michael's #2 and would do absolutely anything for him. He's turned on by bureaucratic power. He wants it and he loves anyone who has it. People who aren't serious about whatever he's doing isn't worth his time. He lives for rules and structure. He's also kind of a dick. But he's a lovable dick. And a self proclaimed idiot (but only because Michael calls him an idiot. If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have listened). What I admire most about Dwight is his attitude. He simply doesn't care what anyone thinks of him. He's doing his thing, and if you don't like it, then get out of his way. The only opinions that matter to him are those of the people that he cares the most about (Michael and Angela). Dwight's downfall is that he takes EVERYTHING way too seriously. He considers himself more important than he actually is. And this is why his unconditional love of Michael is his saving grace. In Michael's presence, he displays humility and a passionate need to please and to be accepted, and all too often he gets mistreated by Michael, but he keeps on loving Michael, no matter how many times his heart and hopes get crushed. His fierce devotion to all that he loves is both his greatest redeeming factor and his greatest weakness. He loves whole-heartedly and with so much passion that he can be a little overwhelming. This quality is actually pretty similar to Michael, but the difference is that Dwight genuinely wants to please whoever he loves, whereas Michael just wants to be loved. For Michael, it's all about him, it's always selfish love. For Dwight, it's all about the other person, it's a generous love. I adore him. &hearts But his sense of reality is pretty warped. He thinks Jack Bauer, superheroes, and vampires are real, hence part of the reason why Michael calls him an idiot.
My favorite Dwight moments (stupid YouTube keeps rejecting the vid, so I had to upload it to imeem. The serial killer clip especially makes me crack up like crazy, and the ping pong one is just Dwight being his sexy self and I couldn't resist including it):
3. ANDY BERNARD!!!!
He's just your all-around unintentional goofball. I love this man with a fierce, Dwight-like devotion. He's just so me without being me. He has this ridiculous enthusiasm for anything that is awesome, and his positivity is what keeps him going. Andy is a lot like Michael in the sense that he tries too hard to be accepted, the difference is that Andy doesn't need to be loved by everyone, just... someone, anyone. And it doesn't even have to be love, just a general acceptance. He needs to matter in some way, to be a part of something. At times he can be ruthless and conniving and he's the biggest suck up that you'll ever find, but at the same time he's highly insecure, quite oblivious, and incredibly sweet. His obliviousness saves him from realizing that nobody likes him, and his positivity creates this warped view of the world where everyone is his buddy and he could nail any girl he wants to, but he also has a certain knack for picking people that he knows he can wear down, and he feels like he can only win acceptance basically by bribing people (in essence). He's deeply afraid of being himself, so he copies the other person's personality, adopts their likes and dislikes, and basically goes along with whatever the other person wants from him. The two things that he always retains is his intense love of a cappella and his pride in going to Cornell. These two things are what defines Andy Bernard in Andy Bernard's head. It's recognition, status, and that's what he thinks he needs to succeed. Andy's obliviousness tends to be quite distressing to himself, because too often he is completely baffled as to what's going on, and he hates not knowing if he's the butt of a joke or if he's missing out on something, and many times people play with his head, and when he realizes that people do this to him, he is completely crushed, heart and soul. The enthusiasm is sucked out of him, the positivity gone, and all that's left is either rage or loneliness. I've ranted about the cell phone prank many times, so I won't get into that now, but that crushed his spirit. That killed a part of him and he came back a new man. A little more aware, a little less free with the intensity of his enthusiasm, and a little less ambitious. Was it for the better? Maybe. But I loved Andy immensely pre cell phone prank, and I still adore him like crazy post cell phone prank, but sometimes I miss that fighting spirit that he used to have. The rage that was always bubbling underneath the surface. Anyway, Andy is simply amazing, and no character has ever affected me the way that he does. I identify with him so much that it scares me sometimes. Luckily I don't feel the need to matter quite as much as he does. But the enthusiasm and positivity and surprising rage? That's me. I also tend to be slightly oblivious, but I'm much more self-aware than Andy. The a cappella? Not me. But it turns me on.
My Andy video from last year:
&hearts &hearts &hearts &hearts &hearts
And because Andy gets the greatest lines known to man:
4. Ryan Howard
Okay, I'm going to be honest. I wasn't the biggest Ryan fan until season 4 when he turned into a corporate, heartless version of Michael. Before that he was just so... uncaring, thought of himself as above everyone else, so self aware that it was almost crippling, and just a jerk in general. A frat boy. Prettiest in the office. He was so desperate to not become Michael that he ended up becoming Michael, only 10 times worse, because he was too much of a douche to see all the things that Michael did right and only noticed the things that he did wrong. Ryan uses and manipulates people. He used Kelly to pass the time till he moved on from Scranton, he manipulates Michael for his own needs, and he is driven by his fear of failure. Despite his general jerkiness, he's somehow gained my love, especially in season 4. Perhaps it's his sarcastic wit, but I think it's mostly that I loved watching him fail so massively. I guess it's easier to love a failure than an ambitious weasel.
5. Stanley Hudson
"You cannot take the hilarious black guy from the office. Stanley is part of what makes this branch so extraordinary. The bluesy wisdom, the sassy remarks, the crossword puzzles, the smile, those big watery red eyes. I don't know how George Bush did it when Colin Powell left, and if Utica thinks that they are going to poach Stanley, they have another thing coming." ~ Michael Scott
I think that says it all really. Hee. Stanley is the quiet guy that just wants to be left alone so that he can do his work and go home. If you bother him, you'll have to face his wrath, and you don't want that. He's scary when he's angry. What I love about Stanley is that he's always so droll. SO bored in the most hilarious way. Nothing phases him. The building's on fire? He'll walk out doing his crossword puzzle. Michael and Dwight being insane? He'll just roll his eyes. Pretzel Day? Well, that phases him. It's the one thing in his life that brings him complete joy. I think it's the only time he's ever smiled, actually. I can't find any Stanley montages, so you'll have to settle for these:
Oooooh, I love Stanley. He gets a lot of my biggest laughs, actually.
6. Kevin Malone
He's just this lovable big lug that's a little slow on the uptake and harmless as harmless can be. He giggles. At really immature stuff. I'm pretty sure he and I would be great friends. He also has a gambling problem, and his fiance of quite a few years has just left him, and hates anything that involves strenuous exercise. Mostly, he manages to find the funny in everything. He just loves being amused, and it's the little things in life that bring him happiness, like winning the parking lot back, or shredding things, or cake, or annoying Angela. He's pretty much just along for the ride, any ride. I love him.
Kevin/Holly scenes from the S4 finale - Probably Kevin's best episode &hearts
7. Angela Martin
Feisty little blond. The tightass of the office. The strictly religious one. She's another character that loves rules and structure, and if you break these rules or are in any way nonconforment to her ideals, then she automatically hates you. To be honest, I have a sort of love/hate thing for Angela, especially since she started dating Andy. I adore her, but I wouldn't want to have to suffer her criticisms and snide remarks every day. Anyway, she digs rules, and she's wickedly turned on by bureaucratic power, so it's no wonder that she and Dwight got together sometime in season 2 and were the most stable relationship on the show until season 4, despite their incredibly kinky escapades. She's basically a wound up, cat-loving, goody-two-shoes on the surface, but when you look beyond that, she's wickedly horny for Dwight, she's very conniving, she's afraid of revealing too much of herself to people, and she can be quite sensitive about the things that she cares about. Whenever we get a moment of compassion out of Angela, it's simply amazing, because it's such a rare thing to see.
8. Phyllis Lapin
She's the harmless looking one, the shy one, the motherly one... on the surface. In reality she has a hopping love life and she loves to gossip and she can be quite spiteful when you least expect it. Andy doesn't trust her, and, I have to say, his claim isn't completely out of the blue. But Phyllis is also pretty sweet most of the time and a bit of a pushover and you can't help but feel bad when people yell at her or take advantage of her. She likes to believe the best in people. Angela Martin is her main nemesis, and often some of the funniest scenes are between them. I don't really know why, but I love Phyllis like crazy. She's just so calm and quiet that whenever she does the unexpected, I giggle like crazy. Oh, and she married Bob Vance Vance Refrigeration in season 3 and they probably have the most normal relationship on the show.
A few of my favorite Phyllis and/or Angela scenes:
9. Meredith Palmer
She's the office drunk. This is the one character that I feel hasn't been very well fleshed out, even after 4 years. She's divorced, her kid's a delinquent, she sleeps with anything that moves, she's obscene, she drinks a lot, she gets hit by cars and footballs and gets bitten by rabid animals. Have I mentioned that she's a drunk? I love her, but sadly the majority of her best scenes get cut for time, which ends up making her somewhat insignificant, which is sad, because the actress is quite funny. I have to say, my favorite Meredith scenes are the ones that she shares with Creed, and... I kind of ship Meredith/Creed, only... they're disgusting enough on their own. Put them together? It might traumatize some viewers. But they're quite perfect for each other. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they slept together in the past and neither one remembers.
10. Kelly Kapoor
She's the cute one, the perpetual teenager, the one obsessed with NSYNC and Leonardo DeCaprio and TomKat and Brangelina. And she'll talk your head off about the most incessant things. She's also the biggest drama queen of the office (well... unless you count Michael). She's just plain adorable and SO enthusiastic and perky, and she's quite like Michael with her self-centeredness and her intense love of Ryan. Of course, she loves the idea of Ryan more than Ryan himself. She wants the cute boyfriend who will then become her cute husband so that they can have lots and lots of cute babies together. But Ryan is so the wrong guy for that. She throws her whole heart into everything that matters to her. I love her. &hearts And she loves Beyonce, pink the color, Pink the person, hot dogs, basically anything that is awesome, snow cones...
11. Toby Flenderson
Michael's arch nemesis. Why? Nobody really knows. Probably because he's HR, and HR represents rules and restrictions that Michael doesn't want to follow, so he blames Toby since Toby is the enforcer. But... Michael has so much bile for Toby that you'd think it was personal. Toby is basically a sad sack. He's quiet and non-threatening and generally likable but kind of forgettable in The Office world, mostly because Michael tries to exclude him from everything as much as humanly possible. Toby has such hopeful disparity, and that's basically the essence of Toby. He's miserable but he still hopes for better despite knowing that he'll always be unlucky. I actually think that's how he put up with Michael for so long. He keeps believing that one day Michael won't be so horrible, but that day never comes. He's just so... pathetic. You laugh at his misery, but at the same time, you just want to give him a hug. Oh, Toby. &hearts
Season 1 and 2 Michael vs Toby
12. Creed Bratton
The creepy old guy that did too many drugs in the 60s. He's the most random person in the entire world, you never really know what's going to come out of his mouth. Sometimes it's hilarious, and sometimes it's just perplexing. I adore Creed, but not quite as much as fandom does. He's awesome, of course, but he can be hit or miss with me. But he's pretty adorable for being a creepy old guy. &hearts
13. Oscar Martinez
He takes things a little too seriously sometimes. He's definitely a snob, but at the same time, he can be very self-deprecating, which is probably why I love him so much. And not only is he the Mexican minority in the office, he's also the gay guy. This lends itself to much humorous awkwardness for him and Michael. For Oscar, it's more about letting the other crazy characters play off of him, so he's pretty subtle (by Office standards). I just love how he'll get so hot and bothered about something, and then he'll just accept the way things are in the end. He's awesome.
14. Jim Halpert and Pam Beesley
I'm not too big on Jim and Pam. But I have quite a few friends who are. And about 99.1% of fandom is all "ZOMG JIM AND PAM TRU LUV 4EVR!!!!11!!" but... you know how I hate that crap. I don't like the obvious, schmoopy ships that I know 100% will happen, and that was pretty much Jim and Pam from day 1. But I am in the incredibly tiny minority there. I don't have a lot of lovely things to say about these two, so I'll just leave it at that.
Here's a vid, you know, if you like that sort of thing.
*arrogant sniff* Nope, didn't affect me. Shut up, I did not hold my breath during that scene. Okay, so I liked them in Chair Model, but that's about it. And I like their scenes with the other characters, particularly Michael.
In the next segment I will bring you the heart-wrenching relationships and moments that made me cry (or... moments that touched my heart and made me tear up a little bit).