The Office (UK) Season 2 Review


Changing Times.

The second and final season of The Office (UK) is a marked improvement on the first outing for Wernham Hogg, as it ups both the laughs and drama to create a winning formula.

David is really put through the ringer this season, as he tries desperately to bond with employees new and old, only to be fired by Neil and his evil cronies higher up in the organisation. Gervais put in a brilliant performance as Brent, dropping hilarious one-liners and inappropriate comments every episode and carrying the show forward. Gervais deserves praise for how he somehow manages to create a character both awful and lovable, someone we simultaneously dislike and sympathise with. My only problem with David this season would be how the show leaves his story dangling at the end of the episode. I would've liked some satisfying conclusion to the Brentmeister General's journey, but hopefully that will be provided in the unofficial series finale, the Christmas specials.

 Tim and Dawn also benefited from stronger story arcs this season, as Tim gained a new love interest in the form of Rachel, who Dawn grew increasingly jealous of. Tim had some particularly strong moments this season, particularly the great pranks he pulled on Gareth. Ultimately, he made a bold decision in dumping Rachel only to be rejected once more by Dawn, but it felt right and I liked that he removed his microphone during the awkward second rejection - it saved the viewer from having to cringe, which I always appreciate!

 The Slough branch was much more realised in season two, as we got to know characters like Neil, Trudy and Keith better than we ever did in the first season. Keith was the stand-out background character for me, producing some brilliantly funny scenes like his appraisal with David. The show needed some energy outside of the three main characters (David, Dawn and Tim), so the brief moments spent with the other cogs in the Wernham Hogg machine were rewarding to say the least.

 I am truly gutted Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant never made a third season of The Office (UK), as this season was an upgrade from its predecessor, however ending in its prime has allowed the show to develop into something of a cult classic. Thankfully the journey isn't completely over, as we still have those Christmas specials to embark upon, but with no more regular episodes I can comfortably say that season 2 of The Office (UK) is a quality watch and well worth what little time it takes to binge it!

 RATING: 8/10

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Office (US) S3 E6 - 'Diwali' Mini-Review

Image
The Festival of Lights. Michael's inappropriate jokes were in full swing this episode as the office attended Kelly's family's Diwali celebrations. Ryan was grilled ruthlessly by Kelly's parents in a number of brilliant scenes, whilst Michael proposed, unsuccessfully, to Carol in a cringe-inducing moment. The irritating boss went on to sink even lower by attempting to kiss Pam. It's certainly the lowest we've seen Michael this season, and it will be interesting to see how he brings himself back from this. Karen and Jim meanwhile earned my approval, proving their chemistry is undeniable. Also, it's Rashida freakin' Jones, so WHY is he not leaving the Pam thing behind him and getting with Ann Perkins!! Either way, a solid and gag-filled episode, one of the strongest so far. BEST MOMENTS "One of our most ethnic coworkers" "Pam wishes" "I wish some of us still had our shoes on" "At lezst I'm not dressed as a...
Read more

The Office (UK) S1 E1 - 'Downsize' Review

Image
Investment in People. The first ever episode of The Office (UK)  sets up an entertaining and relatable workplace, although a number of jokes fall flat. 'Downsize' is light on story and heavy on exposition as it aims t o establish the characters and relationships within the fictional offices of  Wernham Hogg, whilst encouraging the viewer to sympathise with these characters and plot threads. As such, the best way to address this episode would be to view it as a character study. Here is what I got from the characters: David Brent (Ricky Gervais) - The protagonist, loveable idiot boss David Brent drives the show forward and his cringe-inducing gags and interactions form the core of the humour in the show. He clearly wants to do good, but is misguided and inappropriate, resulting in awkward office interactions which many viewers would likely associate with. Despite his rudeness and poor sense of humour, I instantly rooted for Brent and his passion for his colleagues. Ti...
Read more

Arrow S1 E16 - 'Dead to Rights' Review

Image
So... Who Needs Two Bullets in the Chest? 'Dead to Rights' is a solid episode in Arrow 's first season. The episode chooses to refocus upon the Undertaking and the overall running arc of the series, and it is all the better for it. We see fractures in the List organisation, as Moira and Frank turn on Malcolm. Similarly, we see Malcolm struggling to maintain the lie of his identity from his son Tommy, and this conflict plays out well across the 42 minute run time. He kills in front of Tommy and almost reveals his Dark Archer outfit to his son, before Lawton interrupts by shooting Malcolm. Lawton's reintroduction as Deadshot is another excellent move by the showrunners. Deadshot, now missing an eye thanks to his last encounter with the Hood, is a great foe and I'm glad he's back in action and likely to return in the future of the Arrowverse. His new robotic eye is bad-ass, as was the fight scenes between Oliver, the Triad and China White. In the past, little...
Read more