I. Declare. BANKRUPTCY.
OK, not really. But I do declare that as much as I'd absolutely love to see a reunion of the "The Office" streaming on Netflix in the near future, it may not be the best idea. In a recent interview with Esquire, Michael Scott himself said that considering the current state of our society, he agrees.
Obviously, Steve Carell still gets asked about his time at Dunder Mifflin all the time. After seven seasons of "that's what she said jokes" and debauchery, it's a role that won't soon escape him.
“Because 'The Office' is on Netflix and replaying, a lot more people have seen it recently," he said. "And I think because of that there’s been a resurgence in interest in the show, and talk about bringing it back. But apart from the fact that I just don’t think that’s a good idea, it might be impossible to do that show today and have people accept it the way it was accepted ten years ago."
Considering the impact of the #MeToo movement and our current political state, this is definitely something to think about. Whereas in 2005 it may have been more acceptable to have an on-screen boss whose entire purpose was to make people feel uncomfortable or crack inappropriate jokes, today it would result in a riot.
"The climate’s different," he continued. "I mean, the whole idea of that character, Michael Scott, so much of it was predicated on inappropriate behavior. I mean, he’s certainly not a model boss. A lot of what is depicted on that show is completely wrong-minded. That’s the point, you know? But I just don’t know how that would fly now. There’s a very high awareness of offensive things today -- which is good, for sure. But at the same time, when you take a character like that too literally, it doesn’t really work.”
TL;DR -- if Michael Scott did today what he did back then, he'd be fired in a heartbeat.
Despite this, other "Office" alums have expressed their interest in a reboot, even if it was just a one-episode reunion.
"The original British show, the best thing was they had a Christmas episode -- it was a one-off," John Krasinski told The Wrap earlier this year. "I would love to do that. I think it would be a sort of 'Where Are They Now' kind of thing. That would be really fun...We need it. I'd totally be down if everyone else is too."
Not a bad idea, but it just wouldn't be the same without a Michael appearance, would it? Please excuse me while I go re-watch the series finale and cry...again.