In reviewing the sixth season of "The Office", there is good news and bad news: On the positive side, the season gave us such landmark episodes as "Niagara Falls" (Jim/Pam wedding) and "The Arrival" (Jim/Pam baby), easily in the top echelon of episodes in show history. On the flip side, though, the show also went through two separate little dry patches that produced some episodes that just didn't measure up well against earlier efforts.
The theme of "change" runs at the core of the entire season. At the beginning, Dunder-Mifflin employees worry about the long-term stability of their company, then (about half way through the season), the company is actually bought out by Sabre, a printer company headed by Jo Bennett (guest star Kathy Bates), with the crew having to adjust to their new ownership. On a more personal level, the Jim/Pam relationship moves from one of flirtation & fun to more real-life undertones (marriage, parenting, etc.), while two characters (Andy Bernard and new receptionist Erin) become smitten with each other...only to provide some of the most awkwardly hilarious conversations/situations in show history!
In terms of acting, the sixth season was on par with the previous installments. Steve Carrell as Michael Scott is still the glue that binds everything together, and the supporting cast keeps turning in hilarious performances when called upon. The introduction of the Andy/Erin romance was a breath of fresh air for the show, as its innocence harkens back to the early Jim/Pam seasons, but due to Andy's total and absolute goofiness, it takes forever (but in a good way!) for things to really get off the ground. About the only two things that got a little annoying were the continued Dwight/Angela battles that never seem to end, and Bates' new character, who doesn't seem to add much comedy to the show whatsoever.
So, despite the fact that the episodes were a bit uneven in terms of overall quality/hilarity, I cannot drop this season below five stars due to the extraordinary content of the really good episodes. Basically, the season started off a bit slow, hit its stride during/after the Jim/Pam wedding, then leveled off again after the baby episode, only to limp to the finish line. Also, the final scene hints at the possible return of a fan-favorite character, which could easily rejuvenate the proceedings for the seventh season next fall.
The theme of "change" runs at the core of the entire season. At the beginning, Dunder-Mifflin employees worry about the long-term stability of their company, then (about half way through the season), the company is actually bought out by Sabre, a printer company headed by Jo Bennett (guest star Kathy Bates), with the crew having to adjust to their new ownership. On a more personal level, the Jim/Pam relationship moves from one of flirtation & fun to more real-life undertones (marriage, parenting, etc.), while two characters (Andy Bernard and new receptionist Erin) become smitten with each other...only to provide some of the most awkwardly hilarious conversations/situations in show history!
In terms of acting, the sixth season was on par with the previous installments. Steve Carrell as Michael Scott is still the glue that binds everything together, and the supporting cast keeps turning in hilarious performances when called upon. The introduction of the Andy/Erin romance was a breath of fresh air for the show, as its innocence harkens back to the early Jim/Pam seasons, but due to Andy's total and absolute goofiness, it takes forever (but in a good way!) for things to really get off the ground. About the only two things that got a little annoying were the continued Dwight/Angela battles that never seem to end, and Bates' new character, who doesn't seem to add much comedy to the show whatsoever.
So, despite the fact that the episodes were a bit uneven in terms of overall quality/hilarity, I cannot drop this season below five stars due to the extraordinary content of the really good episodes. Basically, the season started off a bit slow, hit its stride during/after the Jim/Pam wedding, then leveled off again after the baby episode, only to limp to the finish line. Also, the final scene hints at the possible return of a fan-favorite character, which could easily rejuvenate the proceedings for the seventh season next fall.
