Disclaimer: Children under the age of 12 should check with their parents before watching the show. This article contains spoilers from The Office.

I think The Office is the funniest show ever! It combines several different hilarious characters who each have a little quirk. I just finished watching nine seasons of The Office, and I am looking for more. 

My friends and I bond over The Office. Cecilia Ashenuga ‘24 and I are superfans. We had in-depth conversations that broke down each episode. We even have a group chat called “The Office.” Recently during quarantine, I have hosted Netflix parties where my friends and I watch The Office. Our comments during the episode have ranged from “O my Gosh, I love Jam (Jim and Pam), or “Michael is so clueless.” Some of the eighth grade’s favorite characters are Michael, Kevin, and Dwight. We all feel as if our lives relate to these three characters. Being able to watch The Office with friends has made the quarantine all that much better.

On an Easter Zoom call with my family, we were discussing The Office. My family laughed because I said “I feel like Kevin.” Cecilia Ashenuga says “My favorite character is Dwight. Dwight is the type of person that is funny without realizing it. He is easy to laugh at! Dwight takes things seriously in a seriously funny way!” My mom and dad are also big office fans. My mom’s favorite character is Toby. She said: “I love Toby because he always strives to do the right thing. Toby is relentless in his attempts to prevent the damage that Michael routinely causes with his totally inappropriate humor and offensive behavior. As a Human Resources professional, I laugh out loud because I know that there is only so much we can do to save people from themselves! There is a little bit of Toby in me.” My dad’s favorite character is Stanley. He stated: “I love Stanley because nothing bothers him, he has so many good comebacks, and he is a lot smarter than everyone else thinks he is.” 

The Office recently celebrated its fifteenth anniversary since starting on the air. When I asked Cecilia about whether she would like a reboot she said “Yes, yes, yes! Watching the actors together makes me so happy. The Office was my favorite show, and I was sad to see it end.” The show has made so many people laugh and it has made their day brighter. The cast still keeps in contact with each other, and The Office audience continues to grow – a courtesy of Netflix. If you watch the YouTube channel of one the actors, John Krazinski, called “Some Good News,” you would know that actors Rainn Wilson, who plays Dwight and Steve Carrell, who plays Michael  have made appearances. The podcast, Office Ladies hosted by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey breaks down every single episode with behind the scenes information. In one of the podcasts, Fischer says “I imagine Jim and Pam are living a happy life in Austin, Texas right now.” I myself imagine that Dwight, Angela, and their son Phillip would still be living on their beet farm. Dwight would most likely be educating his son on how to milk a cow and how to plant beets. I believe Creed would still be in jail. Phyllis would find her lost daughter with Bob Vance, and Meredith would marry a gym instructor. If they need a producer for my so-called “where are they now?” I hope they don’t hesitate to call me. 

Cecilia and I wanted to share some wisdom for any new fans of The Office. Cecilia’s wisdom for newcomers is “Listen, listen, listen to the Office Ladies podcast. Find it wherever you find podcasts. Whether you are watching it for the first time or rewatching the whole series, it is worth a great hour of your time.” My wisdom to the new fans is, “Pay attention to the relationships of the people in this sitcom. They develop into great friendships between people who accept each other’s shortcomings as the series progresses.”

Cecilia describes The Office with the word “life.” This show is easy to laugh at, easy to cry at, and even easy at which to say to yourself “Why would I watch this show?” The Office, very much like our world today, is weird and unpredictable. My mom’s colleague shared with her a meme of The Office: Coronavirus Special. If you are curious, search the web for it. If you are looking for something to watch during quarantine, WATCH THE OFFICE!

Kate Novack ’24, Middle School Editor 

24knovack@montroseschool.org