Is The Office formulaic? One might argue that this question doesn’t matter, as long as the formula works. But like many shows, its popularity depends almost entirely on a premise that needs to remain static in order to keep the fans pacified. We’re a fickle bunch: we don’t want anything to change, but we gripe when it remains the same. Luckily The Office is usually off-kilter enough to distract from the basic formula, which almost always involves Michael (and/or Dwight) doing something that could ruin their lives/careers, but it all works out ok in the end. Because it has to.

In past episodes, the show’s given itself multiple opportunities to jettison one of the recognizable cast members, but it never does. Not that you’d expect Angela or even Creed to disappear, but in the “firing” episode, the ending was a cop-out: one of the faceless drones from the back part of the office that we barely ever see got the axe. Meredith got the okay from corporate to keep sleeping with an important client, and Michael, of course, has permanent immunity has the de facto star of the show. Nothing in The Office can ever really change, not even when he decides to start giving away free paper as a promotion without okaying it first.

Trivia Tidbit #1

According to Dwight, when he was a child, he wasn’t allowed to…

a. read books
b. watch movies
c. listen to music
d. all of the above

What saves the show is that Steve Carell makes it totally believable. You really buy the fact that Michael is just that thoughtless and impulsive and incapable of learning. He puts on a Willy Wonka costume and just gets carried away. It’s happened to all of us on occasion.

The way he tries to get Dwight to take the fall for him? Predictable. Despite his good heart, Michael is incredibly selfish. (And he doesn’t really like Dwight, but then again, who could?) And when David Wallace finally drops by to announce that everything’s going to turn out okay, despite the Scranton branch losing 50% of the revenue from its most important client, we can’t be surprised. After all, it’s just another day at Dunder Mifflin.

Trivia Tidbit #2

In “Golden Ticket,” Michael does an elaborate pun for Pam that involves the following prop.

a. a waffle
b. a pancake
c. a slice of bacon
d. a piece of toast

Submit your answers to this week’s trivia challenge HERE! Please DO NOT submit answers in the comments. All correct answerers will earn a mention at the top of next week’s The Office recaplet, along with a link to your website(s) of choice - remember to include a URL with your answers.

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