The popularity ofThe Officeis undeniable.
According to Nielsen,The Officewasthe most streamed show of 2020by a lot.
The Officealso made the mockumentary style of sitcom extremely popular.
Many other shows adapted this style such asModern FamilyandWhat We Do in the Shadows.
The Humor
This is extremely subjective as everyones sense of humor varies.
These sequences often last for a while and are difficult to watch.
Image via NBC
Now, the point of these scenes is to be awkward and uncomfortable, but its constant.
The amount of cringe inThe Officecan be exhausting and its often more embarrassing than it is funny.
For example, one of the funniest scenes on the show is from the episode, The Fight.
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In it, Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari) introduces a new alcoholic beverage called Snake Juice.
However, Snake Juice is incredibly potent and everyone gets wasted.
It doesnt make you cringe because there are no observers to align yourself with.
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Sure, most of them dont mean any harm, but they arent exactly nice.
Michael is often bigoted and lacks any pop in of filter.
Knope is one of the kindest characters in any comedy series.
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Even a character like Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) is really a nice person.
Hes even a good stepfather towards his girlfriends daughters.
InParks and Rec, all of the characters inThe Officehave lives outside of work and theyre mostly fleshed out.
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Admittedly,Parks and Recdoesnt have a plotline as emotionally satisfying as Jim and Pams love story.
Its a phenomenal narrative that culminates in a heartwarming wedding.
Better Recurring Guest Characters
Amidst the large cast inThe Office, there arent many recurring guest characters.
EvenWill Ferrells comedic talent was wasted during his time on this show.
However, the recurring guests onParks and Recare some of the many highlights of the series.
Most notable isBen Schwartzas Toms problematic best friend.
Other great guests includeBilly Eichneras Crazy Craig andPaul Ruddas Bobby Newport.
Even characters who only appear for one episode have become memorable.
Pawnee Is Just Better Than Scranton
Pawnee is a much better-realized setting than Scranton is.
They do go to restaurants and schools, but these look like any other ordinary places.
Pawnee even has a rivalry with its neighboring town, Eagleton, which is much classier than Pawnee.
Its her home and the idea of home extends throughout the series.
Michael Scott really is the heart and soul of that series.
Season 8 did a decent job, but Season 9 struggled.
Also, Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) became extremely unlikable.
He just straight up abandoned everyone and also treated Nellie (Catherine Tate) so horribly.
It only went on for one more season but Chris and Annes absence was never really too noticeable.
Even some of the guest characters get closure to their stories.
Season 7 isnt as good as the others, but its only 13 episodes and doesnt overstay its welcome.
The Officehas a great finale but it struggled to get there in its final two seasons.
Plus, this brings in the plotline with the mic operator which is completely unnecessary and goes nowhere.
The Officewill continue to be more popular, but theres more to appreciate withParks and Rec.
Its charming characters, unique setting, and goofy sense of humor make it a top-tier comedy series.
It takesThe Officeformula and ends up doing it better.
KEEP READING:The Top 50 Episodes of The Office, Ranked
