Saying Goodbye to The Office

Last Thursday was the last episode of The Office and with it ends a great workplace comedy. Between Office Space and The Office, the American workplace has been characterized and made fun of in great detail. But the best part of both of them--especially The Office in its better years--was that it was so relatable to our every day lives.

I mean who hasn't had a boss like Michael Scott (or Bill Lumbergh, for that matter)? Who hasn't had a by-the-book, cooky co-worker like Dwight? And we've all sat in a group of cubicles where it felt like we knew who was the Angela who was the Oscar and who was the Kevin. One of the show's most frustrating characters for most HR folks was Toby as he was unable to create the type of order needed to control this office, but, in the end, that led to all the hijinks that occurred.

But where the show really shined was showing a group of co-workers who were forced to spend their weekdays together and how they not only got through that as a group, but made the most of their relationship. Early on in the series Michael refers to his co-workers as his family and that's really what everyone became. And aren't the best offices you've been in where everyone feels that close and really works together towards a common goal (even if on The Office, the common goal was sometimes to get out of doing the work)?

So while we must say goodbye to The Office (and for a few seasons, I think most couldn't wait for it to happen), we won't lose the references and lessons that came along with it. It could get extremely cringe-worthy like in "Diversity Day" or the barrage of "that's what she said" jokes, but deep down the show was a really sweet look in the good in us all and how we can get through something as mundane as selling paper when we're able to get along with our co-workers. If Dundler Mifflin taught us anything, it's that we all work best when we work together.