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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.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 Oscar (Oscar 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
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!
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 47 people found the following review helpful
By C. D. White
Format:DVD
Don't get me wrong, The Office isn't what it used to be, and Steve Carell's departure has hurt this flailing show taking everything into consideration. But it's too easy to point the finger at Catherine Tate and James Spader as reasons that this season was sub-par by Office standards and average by most other TV comedy standards. The fact is James Spader and Catherine Tate as Robert California and Nellie Bertram were actually continually funny throughout the season to me. And why that's so is because both of those characters are absolutely insane. That was the main ingrediant to what made the show head and shoulders above anything before it when it first started. It also had a compelling love story with Jim and Pam and besides those two characters pretty much everyone else was either completely bonkers and had some odd quirks. As the show has progressed, those characters were either toned down or became charicatures of themselves and the enduring love story has become painfully boring.
The main problem as any die hard Office fan knows stems from the writing. Andy was my favorite character and in a strange stroke of misfortune for me as a viewer Ed Helms became famous which meant the writers felt compelled to make Andy Bernard more like Stu Price. But what made Andy funny was that for the most part we used to laugh at him now we are supposed to laugh with him. The writers tried to shoehorn an upper class jerk with anger issues into a relatable character. In doing so we are basically supposed to forget who he used to be. I have been alternating watching season 3 and season 8 recently and the Andy of season 3 is a completely different person than the Andy of season 8. Real people don't change as much in 5 years as Andy has on this show, so why do the writers think we should accept this...in a mockumentary no less! But Andy is just one of many characters that has gone through this weird transformation from a quirky character into either a charaicature of themselves (Dwight, Kevin, Meredith etc.) or a bland version of the original character (Andy, Pam, Creed etc.). As others have said they tried to make Andy and Erin the new Jim and Pam but since Jim and Pam are ostensibly the only normal people (besides Darryl and Toby at first) it was doomed to fail. In fact, the Darryl and Val relationship was a way more compelling love story this season than Andy and Erin because again those two character are more or less normal.
But back to Robert and Nellie, like I said I thought they provided some of the best moments this season because they are weirdos. And along that line I think the people giving this season 1 star are overreacting. Obviously, the show is not what it used to be, but I still laugh at it occasionally and there were still some episodes this season that actually hung together for the whole episode. Also, I was encouraged with David Wallace coming back. I always HATED the Sabre story line so it's definitely a good thing to be rid of that. And frankly, I'm also not upset to see Mindy Kaling leave, she has been increasingly annoying as Kelly Kapoor since she and Ryan got back together. And I also think the increasing cutesyness and references to pop culure and internet sensations come from her as a writer so hopefully that stuff will stop now. Paul Lieberstien as Toby serves no purpose now that Michael is gone. Lieberstien as a writer may be missed but I can't remember a Lieberstien written episode that I like since season 4. So I don't know about that. I will say that I have low expectations for the planned Dwight spinoff that he will be the show runner of.
So with all of that being said I do think there are things that could possibly be good in season 9. And it's not like every second of this season was unwatchable...it's just not as good as it used to be. But sub par Office is still way better than above average Two and a Half Men.
The main problem as any die hard Office fan knows stems from the writing. Andy was my favorite character and in a strange stroke of misfortune for me as a viewer Ed Helms became famous which meant the writers felt compelled to make Andy Bernard more like Stu Price. But what made Andy funny was that for the most part we used to laugh at him now we are supposed to laugh with him. The writers tried to shoehorn an upper class jerk with anger issues into a relatable character. In doing so we are basically supposed to forget who he used to be. I have been alternating watching season 3 and season 8 recently and the Andy of season 3 is a completely different person than the Andy of season 8. Real people don't change as much in 5 years as Andy has on this show, so why do the writers think we should accept this...in a mockumentary no less! But Andy is just one of many characters that has gone through this weird transformation from a quirky character into either a charaicature of themselves (Dwight, Kevin, Meredith etc.) or a bland version of the original character (Andy, Pam, Creed etc.). As others have said they tried to make Andy and Erin the new Jim and Pam but since Jim and Pam are ostensibly the only normal people (besides Darryl and Toby at first) it was doomed to fail. In fact, the Darryl and Val relationship was a way more compelling love story this season than Andy and Erin because again those two character are more or less normal.
But back to Robert and Nellie, like I said I thought they provided some of the best moments this season because they are weirdos. And along that line I think the people giving this season 1 star are overreacting. Obviously, the show is not what it used to be, but I still laugh at it occasionally and there were still some episodes this season that actually hung together for the whole episode. Also, I was encouraged with David Wallace coming back. I always HATED the Sabre story line so it's definitely a good thing to be rid of that. And frankly, I'm also not upset to see Mindy Kaling leave, she has been increasingly annoying as Kelly Kapoor since she and Ryan got back together. And I also think the increasing cutesyness and references to pop culure and internet sensations come from her as a writer so hopefully that stuff will stop now. Paul Lieberstien as Toby serves no purpose now that Michael is gone. Lieberstien as a writer may be missed but I can't remember a Lieberstien written episode that I like since season 4. So I don't know about that. I will say that I have low expectations for the planned Dwight spinoff that he will be the show runner of.
So with all of that being said I do think there are things that could possibly be good in season 9. And it's not like every second of this season was unwatchable...it's just not as good as it used to be. But sub par Office is still way better than above average Two and a Half Men.
24 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Wow, in this past season of the Office, the show's quality fell straight off a cliff.
I'm fine with Michael leaving, there was plenty of comedic talent among the cast to make it an enjoyable show without him, but the writing was super lazy and no one seemed to have any idea where anything was going. This was most manifest in the two new characters they brought aboard. (SPOILERS ahead, for all who care)
James Spader as Robert California started out (in the season 7 finale) as a character that seemed to be either a genius or a con-man making it up as he went along. Throughout all of Season 8, it seemed like the writers never figured out for themselves what they wanted him to be. One episode he's a drunk screwing everything up. The next he's 3 steps ahead of everyone else. Ultimately he was both as he managed to run the company into the ground and yet convince David Wallace to give him a million dollars severance to go abroad Europe "training" teenage gymnasts in what had to be one of the dumbest character moments the show has ever had (I mean, really? David Wallace can't see through Robert's BS, but the entire office INCLUDING KEVIN can???? And they say NOTHING????).
Catherine Tate as Nellie. Plenty of fans hated her, and its not hard to see why. Personally, I think her character had potential, but again the writers didn't know who she was going to be. She seemed confidant and together for the Sable store stuff, then admits to the camera in a later episode she doesn't have any idea what she's doing. By the time she's in the main office she seemed like a new antagonist for Andy, but in some episodes they're trying to paint her sympathetically and give her relatable flaws (the memory box in the moving episode, the shopaholic stuff that Pam uncovers, the lame "fish-out-of-water" taco bit with Darryl) so is she supposed to be a character we hate or not? The result was that most fans really didn't like her but I, for one, have no idea if that was the actual intention.
Some plot threads were introduced just to be dropped without much development. Angela's baby, her possibly gay husband, California's wife, Andy's new girlfriend, that one lady trying to get Jim to sleep with her, etc. all seemed like they were going to be somewhat important only to surprise us by not getting much screen time after their introduction, with many things being wrapped up before they even have a chance to begin. It was like the writers lit a series of firecrackers only to have every single one of them not go off.
Other plot points were just stupid, plain and simple. I've already mentioned the boneheaded way California was sent off, but you can add Nellie getting Andy's job just by SITTING IN HIS CHAIR as the dumbest thing that's ever happened on this show. That was compounded by Andy KEEPING HER ON STAFF at the end, despite her constant efforts to wreck him up til this point (again, including TAKING HIS JOB). This show has already strayed pretty far from its realistic mockumentary roots, but this kinda stuff is so far beyond the realm of plausibility its honestly shocking the writers attempted to pass it off on a show like this.
There were other smaller issues too, but these major things, compounded by some unaddressed problems present in the last couple of years (Jim and Pam having nothing really to do now that they're married, Dwight's ever greater transformation to a living cartoon character) make this the worst year the Office has ever had.
If the one star rating seems a little harsh, let it be known that there were a few chuckle inducing moments (Kevin's disbelief that anyone would put a mummy in a museum was pretty great, and you can always count a few great Creed moments), and this is hardly the worst comedy on TV, but if the earlier seasons were 5 star, and the last couple of years were 3, I have no choice but to rate this season as a 1, it really was that bad in comparison to eveything that's come before it.
That said, I'll be watching season 9. Not only is it the final season of the show (so I might as well stick around to see it off), the premiere last Thursday had two great meta moments (everyone throwing trash at Nellie being the highlight for me) that seemed to be the writers acknowledging they've made some mistakes in season 8 and they're gonna make it better. Let's hope they do a better job with season 9. Cause with season 8 behind them, there's no other place to go but up.
I'm fine with Michael leaving, there was plenty of comedic talent among the cast to make it an enjoyable show without him, but the writing was super lazy and no one seemed to have any idea where anything was going. This was most manifest in the two new characters they brought aboard. (SPOILERS ahead, for all who care)
James Spader as Robert California started out (in the season 7 finale) as a character that seemed to be either a genius or a con-man making it up as he went along. Throughout all of Season 8, it seemed like the writers never figured out for themselves what they wanted him to be. One episode he's a drunk screwing everything up. The next he's 3 steps ahead of everyone else. Ultimately he was both as he managed to run the company into the ground and yet convince David Wallace to give him a million dollars severance to go abroad Europe "training" teenage gymnasts in what had to be one of the dumbest character moments the show has ever had (I mean, really? David Wallace can't see through Robert's BS, but the entire office INCLUDING KEVIN can???? And they say NOTHING????).
Catherine Tate as Nellie. Plenty of fans hated her, and its not hard to see why. Personally, I think her character had potential, but again the writers didn't know who she was going to be. She seemed confidant and together for the Sable store stuff, then admits to the camera in a later episode she doesn't have any idea what she's doing. By the time she's in the main office she seemed like a new antagonist for Andy, but in some episodes they're trying to paint her sympathetically and give her relatable flaws (the memory box in the moving episode, the shopaholic stuff that Pam uncovers, the lame "fish-out-of-water" taco bit with Darryl) so is she supposed to be a character we hate or not? The result was that most fans really didn't like her but I, for one, have no idea if that was the actual intention.
Some plot threads were introduced just to be dropped without much development. Angela's baby, her possibly gay husband, California's wife, Andy's new girlfriend, that one lady trying to get Jim to sleep with her, etc. all seemed like they were going to be somewhat important only to surprise us by not getting much screen time after their introduction, with many things being wrapped up before they even have a chance to begin. It was like the writers lit a series of firecrackers only to have every single one of them not go off.
Other plot points were just stupid, plain and simple. I've already mentioned the boneheaded way California was sent off, but you can add Nellie getting Andy's job just by SITTING IN HIS CHAIR as the dumbest thing that's ever happened on this show. That was compounded by Andy KEEPING HER ON STAFF at the end, despite her constant efforts to wreck him up til this point (again, including TAKING HIS JOB). This show has already strayed pretty far from its realistic mockumentary roots, but this kinda stuff is so far beyond the realm of plausibility its honestly shocking the writers attempted to pass it off on a show like this.
There were other smaller issues too, but these major things, compounded by some unaddressed problems present in the last couple of years (Jim and Pam having nothing really to do now that they're married, Dwight's ever greater transformation to a living cartoon character) make this the worst year the Office has ever had.
If the one star rating seems a little harsh, let it be known that there were a few chuckle inducing moments (Kevin's disbelief that anyone would put a mummy in a museum was pretty great, and you can always count a few great Creed moments), and this is hardly the worst comedy on TV, but if the earlier seasons were 5 star, and the last couple of years were 3, I have no choice but to rate this season as a 1, it really was that bad in comparison to eveything that's come before it.
That said, I'll be watching season 9. Not only is it the final season of the show (so I might as well stick around to see it off), the premiere last Thursday had two great meta moments (everyone throwing trash at Nellie being the highlight for me) that seemed to be the writers acknowledging they've made some mistakes in season 8 and they're gonna make it better. Let's hope they do a better job with season 9. Cause with season 8 behind them, there's no other place to go but up.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The quality of the show these days is debatable. I think fans need to come to terms that this show will never have the same feel as Season 2-3 again. With that kind of a mindset, it is much easier to enjoy the show for what it is.
I actually only reviewed this item because unlike every previous season, the Season 8 DVD set is lacking episode commentaries. This is perhaps the most valuable piece of bonus feature and its missing. You can always find blooper reels and deleted scenes for free online but getting episode commentaries is exclusive to the DVD. The earlier seasons actually had the stars of the show coming in to comment episodes but they have since become increasingly famous and busy so they don't comment on more recent season's DVD sets. However, Season 8 has no commentaries at all, not even from directors/writers. This lack of effort severely diminishes the value of this DVD set. I only purchased Season 8 because I'm a diehard The Office fan and I like to be complete but this is a major oversight.
I actually only reviewed this item because unlike every previous season, the Season 8 DVD set is lacking episode commentaries. This is perhaps the most valuable piece of bonus feature and its missing. You can always find blooper reels and deleted scenes for free online but getting episode commentaries is exclusive to the DVD. The earlier seasons actually had the stars of the show coming in to comment episodes but they have since become increasingly famous and busy so they don't comment on more recent season's DVD sets. However, Season 8 has no commentaries at all, not even from directors/writers. This lack of effort severely diminishes the value of this DVD set. I only purchased Season 8 because I'm a diehard The Office fan and I like to be complete but this is a major oversight.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for your collection.
I am finding this DVD very enjoyable and glad I made the purchase. Will finish my collection with Season 9.
Published 6 days ago by Debra A.
5.0 out of 5 stars
STILL PERFECT
Fact is, the show's first post-Steve Carrell year has been a mess, at times bordering on a disaster. And, yet, I've continued to watch it every week. Why? Read more
Published 9 days ago by C. Giosan
3.0 out of 5 stars
Just not the same
Without Michael Scott (Steve Carell) the office seeks to hit the level it was at in the earlier seasons. Read more
Published 17 days ago by Dane E Salabak
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome!
This show is my favorite since "Friends". I have purchased every season on dvd. I can't wait to get season 9!
Published 20 days ago by Kimberly Anne Barnes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it!
I was worried this season wouldn't be the same without Michael Scott (Steve Carell). And while I do miss him terribly, the show still delivered the laughs and Andy (Ed Helms) steps... Read more
Published 29 days ago by LunaRosa
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love The Office
I always get the new season of The Office after it comes out. I've been a fan for many years and it's one of my top three favorite shows! Read more
Published 1 month ago by E. Rentschler
5.0 out of 5 stars
Big Office Fan
If you love The Office, then you will buy season 8. Especially for those who are collecting them all, like me.
Published 1 month ago by Justin Asay
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it!
I had no issues with my purchase. My item came quickly and intact. I went through the episodes in no time at all.
Published 1 month ago by Wendy Ortiz
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love this show!
I can't get enough of this show! It is one of the few shows I will actually purchase the discs for!
Published 1 month ago by EMorales
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
This product was a gift for someone. It was shipped and arrived in three days. My friend was very satisfied with this product!
Published 1 month ago by Stephanie Ortiz
