Product Description
-------------------
Andy takes over as manager of Dunder Mifflin and finds the job
to be more than he bargained for. He wants to win the respect of
his employees, while going toe-to-toe with Robert California, the
enigmatic new CEO, who wants to turn the office into his personal
playground. Dwight makes his own grab for power when he leads a
team to Florida to work under Nellie Bertram, who may be slightly
out of her mind. Jim and Pam's relationship is put to the test
when Pam goes on maternity leave and her replacement has eyes for
Jim. Meanwhile, Erin harbors lingering feelings for Andy;
Angela's relationship deepens with her dashing (state) senator;
and Darryl looks for love in the warehouse. Developed for
American Television by Primetime Emmy Award winner Greg Daniels
(Parks and Recreation, The Simpsons), watch all 24 episodes
back-to-back in this 5-disc set, with outstanding bonus features
including extended episodes, deleted scenes, webisodes, Football
Championship promos and more!
.com
----
The Office returns for its eighth season with a new focus:
salesman Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) has become manager, floundering
under the serene yet manipulative eye of new CEO Robert
California (James Spader). Dwight (Rainn Wilson) chafes at the
new hierarchy and vacillates between passive-aggressive apathy
and naked ambition. The rest of the cast just tries to carry out
their jobs, despite the increasingly absurd ups and downs of
Dunder Mifflin and its new corporate owner, Sabre. There's no
denying that, after the departure of Steve Carell, The Office is
uneven. Some episodes simply put Andy into Michael Scott-ish
situations, while others seek out new angles on the
well-established web of interpersonal conflicts. Sometimes this
works--the very first episode feels like a classic episode,
concluding with a moment that's heartfelt without being cloying.
Other episodes find a new footing that flares to life, like when
half the Dunder Mifflin team go to Florida for a seminar with new
upper management Nellie Bertram (Catherine Tate). Leaving the
familiar surroundings of Scranton opened up new possibilities and
the cast seemed to respond with renewed vitality.
It's best to approach this season as if it were a completely new
series; these episodes often feel diminished simply because the
series' previous heights were so very high. But there are
definite virtues: Dwight's increasing mania, Andy's clumsy
pursuit of receptionist Erin (Ellie Kemper), and the solid
performances of the cast as a whole provide more pleasure than
many more highly rated sitcoms. When O (O Nuñez) realizes
that Angela (Angela Kinsey) is lying about the conception of her
baby, or Stanley (Leslie David Baker) cuts loose while in
Florida, or Toby (Paul Lieberstein) leads a self-defense class,
these scenes have a rich, lived-in feel, as the actors portray
little moments with an effortless and thorough grasp of their
characters. It's unfortunate the show began to lean towards an
increasing number of guest stars for novelty rather than simply
digging deeper into the wealth of talent that's already there.
Extras include deleted scenes, some extended "Producer's Cuts" of
episodes, bloopers, and a web subplot in which Andy, Erin, Kelli
(Mindy Kaling), and Ryan (B.J. Novak) form a pop band. --Bret
Fetzer