The Office airs Thursday's at 9/8c on NBC

by Mary Macrae ’14

The award-winning mockumentary television show, “The Office” has been attracting millions of viewers since 2005 thanks to the incredibly hilarious Steve Carell, his strong supporting cast and perfectly crafted scripts.

For seven seasons Carell played main character Michael Scott who became a cultural touchstone as the inappropriate but loving boss that always ends the day with a good “that’s what she said” joke.

When the news broke that Carell would not be returning this fall for the new season of “The Office,” it shocked and angered avid fans of the show including myself (who has been hooked from the moment I first watched it in 2007). In a sense, I thought they should have completely cancelled the show. I mean how could it go on without this outlandish and beloved character?  Carell has become a trademark to “The Office” and in the eyes of many, it seemed unimaginable to have anyone but Michael Scott run the Scranton branch of the Dunder-Mifflin paper company.

For the September 22 premiere episode, I sat anxiously on my couch waiting in anticipation for the start of the eighth season when it was to be revealed that Andy Bernard, the eager to please salesman portrayed by Ed Helms, would be taking Scott’s previous position as regional manager of the Scranton branch with Robert California, portrayed by James Spader, as the new CEO of Sabre Dunder-Mifflin. With Bernard being a less outrageous and neurotic version of Scott but still possessing a certain degree of quirkiness and California exhibiting the more erratic qualities of him, they display a certain amount of Scott’s original character to allow the show to carry on.

I spent the first episode of the season mourning the absence of Michael Scott, but as the season has moved along in the best way that is possible after losing the show’s star. Bernard shows promise at being able to capture the audience’s attention and heart. Although Helms has big shoes to fill, I believe he can stand on his own and continue the hilarity of “The Office.” It’s definitely worth it for fans of Michael Scott to tune into the “The Office” and give the new bosses a chance.