Sit Down Shut Up did this as well and it was cancelled after 12 eps.

This. I don't think it is necessary to start from the beginning, but I am pretty neurotic about watching things in order. You will miss some jokes and you will miss a bunch of really good funny tv episodes. I would also advise starting Parks and Rec if you haven't watched that yet.

I know. Add in no new episode this week, and you're just like WTF?

the problem with the clerks animated "2nd episode clip show" was that abc decided to air the episodes out of order because they thought the real first episode wasn't "pilot-y" enough. so they aired episode three first, then they showed the clip show, which was full of clips from the first episode, which never aired, because abc cancelled the show after the second episode.

so it wasn't until the dvd release much later that the episodes could be watched in the order that made the jokes make sense.

One time me and silent bob were on the run....

I know exactly how you feel.

It's sad how I can probably recite most lines of each episode.

THIS!

Worst episode ever.

Shark jumping, imo.

Since it looks like they're throwing in the towel, they should have built up to the Jim/Pam wedding and ended the series there.

this isn't lost, where the ending is super important. the office can keep going however long it wants. they can have an episode of kevin farting on a snare drum and i'll very very likely get more enjoyment out of it than some new series that would take its place.

The problem with the Office is that this show has nowhere to go at this point. NOWHERE. Jim and Pam were the driving storyline, then they consummated it and now it just sucks. To whoever said that it's the new Entourage, that is false, Entourage never had a driving storyline, so they can at least try some new **** and they are least attempting different plotlines and have never done a clip show (not that it would be appropriate for the format, but still).

Yeah that's what I don't understand. What are they going to do?
Andy and Erin? Good actors and humor potential, but we've done the office romance thing to death here.

Jim and Pam's baby? ZZZZZZZZZZZ I can't think of anyone who wants them to focus on that crap.

Bankruptcy of company? They've downplayed it now and let them off the hook with that saying that their branch will be ok.

There's no driving storyline at the moment. You don't HAVE to have one for this show, but they're so many seasons in that it's tough to make it watchable without one. They've just done all the standard office related humor and a bunch of innovative stuff. How much could possibly be left in the tank?

The problem is that they try to make up storylines out of thin air, and they're all absolutely terrible. If they just gave up on stories and had good jokes for 20 minutes, I don't think people would care, but they're wasting time on stuff like new office relationships (ugh), bankruptcy, etc. They're trying too hard.

Remember the old episodes? Classics like "The Fight," "Basketball," and "Sexual Harassment" weren't plot-driven shows, they were just random jokes centered around one independent event...and they were fantastic. People say the show died when Pam and Jim got together, but it's not because they got together, it's because their relationship changed the focus of the show from joke-telling to story-telling.

Just tried to see what tonights episode was gonna be about and it says it's a rerun....

Nothing on tonight it looks like.

you guys ever watch the british version of this show?

I think the "main idea" of the office is: it does not need to rely on a plot.

TBH I never really payed attention, or cared about the plot. And I am satisfied w/ 90% of the episodes I watch (including last week's). But, I agree, I don't see anything intersting happening in the future.

THIS!^ Not to mention inf other "nothing" episodes that were brilliant like outing Oscar, hitting Meredith with the car, trying to prove to Daryl he's badass and getting the bouncy castle, when Pam & Jim slept at Dwight's farm, the dinner party, the merger, the one where he does Prison Mike, etc etc. It rly was the best show on TV.

Also, Holly was a great character for Michael and if they needed a driving force she should return (remember that rap they did? LOL). She was very funny and that thing with thinking Kevin was a ****** was so good - also the Angela/Dwight/Andy triangle is gone. Sigh this Office is not good and leaving me hopeless... where can they take it?

I think that's hands down my favorite bit in the show's history. It was on the level of Arrested Development where it took years to finally have the punch-line. But Kevin has been ruined since.

Ditto to what everyone else is saying.

Other than the Jim/Pam thing the Office was never supposed to be about story lines, it was about the the idiocy and oddity that office life can be sometimes.

Think Dilbert or Office Space.

It started out mostly as that, when the mockumentary format actually made sense.

It's now devolved into too much of a soap opera.

I think this pretty much sums up my feelings better than i could.
The slow transition from hilarious mocumentary to stale sitcom killed it.

Everyone here pretty much is on the same page I think.

Oh and yes, I do think Holly thinking Kevin is ******ed is the #1 recurring joke of the series.

I stopped watching this show about 2 months ago. Did I miss anything?

I think Michael ****ing up and telling stuff about Jan was the best. IMO the Office ended when Pam and Jim got together, it was all downhill from there on out.

Nice.

Does anyone else hate Jim Halpert? I loved Tim from the BBC Office, but Jim is a goodie-to-shoes guy who can supposedly do no wrong. He's sometimes funny but mainly just looks at the camera to try to be funny. I wish Kevin would rip his appendages off.

Agreed that Tim is infinitely more likable than Jim.

i didn't like Tim. I <3 jim.

But again, everything changes after the 3rd season when this show became crap.