“The Office” Recap: More Routine

Episode Recap: “Get the Girl”

“Get the Girl” reduces the concept of “The Office” to its essentials: a relentless, stifling, yet oddly comforting routine at odds with each person’s hidden desire to change their lives in a dynamic and exciting way.

Unfortunately, it’s the routine that once again wins.

The cold open sets it up. A balloon has floated in the rafters of Dunder Mifflin’s warehouse for years, and finally falls to the floor. Everyone from the office comes downstairs to watch it fall. They recall where their lives were when the balloon originally rose; nobody feels happier now than they did then.

But the very tedium they all seem to rue finds itself threatened by two unexpected events.

First, Nellie Bertram appears at Dunder Mifflin and announces she now works there, commandeering Andy Bernard’s desk as if it were her birthright.

Second, Andy cannot defend himself because he is in Florida, out to reconcile with Erin.

Two completely different people have decided to strike against the current of their reality and improve their lives, and the employees of the Scranton office find themselves bobbing in their wakes.

When Nellie Bertram first appeared in last season’s finale as an interviewee for Michael Scott’s position, she seemed like a blatant attempt to recycle Michael’s high-strung, hyper-insecure shtick. Now—especially after she calls a meeting—the similarities are more glaring than ever.
“The Office” needs to move on from Michael. Nellie’s clumsy attempts to exert control and confidence while clearly floundering seems like an accurate depiction the show’s producers at this point—no original ideas in their head, but desperate nevertheless to appear like they belong where they are.

The show’s saving grace this season has been Robert California, yet the usually imperious Robert becomes oddly passive this week. This is clearly necessary so that Nellie can have her day and we can watch this episode, but it is not very believable considering what the audience knows about Robert, and leaves the whole show feeling flat and contrived.

Meanwhile, Andy’s trip to Florida is predictable. First, Erin hedges. Then, she rejects him. Then the cute little old lady Erin works for plays mentor, and sets her straight. Then Erin chases after Andy as he drives off in his Prius, declares her love, and they drive back to Pennsylvania together…where Nellie Bertram has established herself as Dunder Mifflin’s new manager.

The addition of Robert California this season suggested a whole new dynamic for “The Office.” Instead, things are going to stay mostly the same. Why were we silly enough to expect anything else from life?