For seven long years, NBC's "The Office" has been a cornerstone of primetime comedy. With a phenomenal cast of characters and brilliantly written episodes, the series never failed to entertain. With a unique blend of physical comedy, emotionally touching story arcs and humor so awkward it makes you cringe with laughter.
"The Office" has taken us on countless unforgettable journeys, from the Stamford branch merger to Jim and Pam's wedding and most recently, the tear-jerking departure of regional manager Michael Scott. The lovable boss, played by comedic juggernaut Steve Carrell, has served as the series' main protagonist (and antagonist, for that matter) for the entirety of its seven-season run. Many viewers have said that without Carrell's presence, "The Office" will soon fall prey to cancellation. But rather than mourn Carrell's loss, NBC hopes to use his departure to give the series new life. For the network, this means finding a star to replace Carrell's genius. For Dunder Mifflin Paper, this means finding a new branch manager.
Such is the premise of the hour-long season finale, airing Thursday at 9 p.m. on NBC, in which a flurry of managerial candidates will vie to fill Scott's vacancy. Undoubtedly, hilarity will ensue Ricky Gervais, Will Arnett, Catherine Tate, Ray Romano and Jim Carrey will guest star as interviewees for the branch manager position, and even real-life billionaire Warren Buffett will stop by "The Office" to play a potential candidate. Joining these new faces in the job-hunt will be a few of the office regulars such as Dwight, Darryl, Kelly and Ryan each hoping to fill their old boss' shoes. But realistically, which of these applicants could actually take over the position? Considering both the characters' fictional paper-selling credentials and the actors' viability in the television industry, will tonight's episode actually reveal the next "Office" star?
Of the potential comedians contending for the role, the two names most talked about as successors to Carrell are Ricky Gervais and Will Arnett. Gervais, star of the original British version of "The Office," already made a guest appearance earlier this season on the show, and he has long been considered one of the best actors for the job. Arnett, on the other hand, has made his name in television as the unforgettable Gob Bluth on FOX's cult hit "Arrested Development," and has kept his ties to NBC strong as an uproarious guest star on the network's "30 Rock." Both have comedic resumes that put even Steve Carrell to shame, and would undeniably approach "The Office" with enough hilarity and energy to keep the next season afloat. It's unfortunate, then, that neither star will take over for Carrell Gervais has publicly stated that he will not be joining the cast, and Arnett signed on for another NBC series, "Up All Night," which premieres this fall. Major comedic chafeage.
None of the other guest stars really stands out as an exceptional choice. I doubt American audiences are familiar enough with Catherine Tate the English comedian best known for her sketch comedy series "The Catherine Tate Show" to give her much praise, and stars like Romano and Carrey would not bring enough liveliness to the position. And I'm not taking Warren Buffet seriously at all.
So that leaves us with the already-existing office members, and from that list I'm tempted to make a bold prediction: Kelly Kapur, played by Mindy Kaling '01. There's no way NBC could pick such goofballs as Dwight (Rainn Wilson) or Ryan (B.J. Novack) or Andy (Ed Helms) to keep the show afloat, since most have demonstrated on countless occasions their inability to manage the office. That leaves Darryl (Craig Robinson) and Kelly as the only two viable options. Kaling's character has been rapidly gaining attention over the past year, and it would be in true "Office" tradition to throw viewers a curveball and promote Kelly to the manager's position unless NBC tries to force yet another surprise into the mix, although we should all probably be expecting that. Tune in to "The Office" tonight to find out.
