# The Office "New Boss" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 20, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110 "2009-03-20T01:59:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/1 "2009-03-20T01:59:25Z")
I think this was one of the least enjoyable episodes I’ve seen. The new boss is a buzz killing asshole. I liked seeing Michael summon the stones to quit, but I didn’t laugh at very much. I just thought the new guy was a dick. I hope the character doesn’t last very long. I won’t be very interested in watching a show about a humorless asshole running a humorless office. That kind of person might run a more efficient office in real life, but it doesn’t make for an entertaining sitcom. And what happened to New York being so impressed by Scranton’s sales? A few weeks ago, Michael was a company hero, now he’s back to being a schmuck? ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/2 "2009-03-20T02:01:11Z")
Well, in fairness, the whole Golden Ticket debacle probably took quite a bit of the shine off. But I agree, it wasn’t a particularly enjoyable episode (although I did get amused by the Kelly/Angela rivalry). ---
**Author:** ![Amazingrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@Amazingrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazingrace)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/3 "2009-03-20T02:01:21Z")
I thought that the characterization of Jim’s position as “fake” was strange. Didn’t Wallace give him a bonafide position as the number two in the office after Ryan was given Jan’s job and the branches merged? ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/4 "2009-03-20T02:07:13Z")
I liked Michael telling Charles the reason Jan and Ryan would come in. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/5 "2009-03-20T02:08:47Z")
I really like Jim’s character but for some reason I really found myself enjoy watching him getting his comeuppance this episode. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/6 "2009-03-20T02:09:51Z")
“I thrive in a position with no accountability.” If nothing else, that line made it a worthwhile episode. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/7 "2009-03-20T02:12:34Z")
I actually think it was a really good episode. It’s the first in forever that made me even think of the far superior BBC version. Michael’s confusion and resentment, his childish response, even doing the repeating game then shoving the chair… it was almost David Brentish. The bit with Jim and the tux felt like a joke without a punchline, though. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/8 "2009-03-20T02:12:53Z")
I liked seeing Jim look ridiculous. He likes to think he’s professional but he thinks hes so far above anyone at DM he works with smirking disdain, in the end he’s one of the biggest clowns in the branch. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/9 "2009-03-20T02:12:55Z")
> [@Amazingrace](#): > > I thought that the characterization of Jim’s position as “fake” was strange. Didn’t Wallace give him a bonafide position as the number two in the office after Ryan was given Jan’s job and the branches merged? Right, Jim is in charge of sales right? It’s not as if he got Dwight old (fake) job? Maybe he was saying is that there’s not fiscal reason to have Jim in that position. Especially being the goof he was being. I don’t know, everyone who seems to be ‘the bad guy’ get’s a lot of hate, (like Ryan), but the show doesn’t have an antagonist these days. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/10 "2009-03-20T02:13:09Z")
> [@Amazingrace](#): > > I thought that the characterization of Jim’s position as “fake” was strange. Didn’t Wallace give him a bonafide position as the number two in the office after Ryan was given Jan’s job and the branches merged? Yeah, there was that too. Sometimes the continuity on this show is a little bit lacking. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/11 "2009-03-20T04:45:32Z")
Good episode and it has me curious about the rest of the season. Also, it’s nice to see Stringer Bell again!!! I’ve missed him. ---
**Author:** ![Mesquite-oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Mesquite-oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mesquite-oh)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/12 "2009-03-20T05:20:06Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I hope the character doesn’t last very long. I won’t be very interested in watching a show about a humorless asshole running a humorless office. That kind of person might run a more efficient office in real life, but it doesn’t make for an entertaining sitcom. I don’t mind a little touch of reality now and then, it keeps the show from getting too unbelievable and it gives something for the characters to play off of. Having a no nonsense corporate prick to watch over the branch for a while is something that might really happen, as compared to something unrealistic like Wallace deciding that it would be a good idea for Michael to go to other branches and give sales workshops. I too enjoyed Jim getting some grief due to one of his Dwight pranks. Dwight is such an easy target, it isn’t really a level playing field. Jim and Pam’s smugness can sometime work my nerves. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/13 "2009-03-20T05:50:01Z")
Yeah holy shit, Stringer Bell. Don’t be fooled by his professionalism, Dunder Mifflin! Yes he may have a master business mind but he is still a Drug Lord!!! (for those of you who don’t know, the guy who played Charles also played one the top-of-the-foodchain seriously badass mofo drug dealers in _The Wire_. It’s hilarious to think of him leaving the game and settling in to the paper business!) ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/14 "2009-03-20T05:53:12Z")
So all I kept thinking was why hasn’t Jim taken the bow tie and jacket off yet? Or at least the bow tie. It would mostly just look like a conservative suit. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/15 "2009-03-20T06:13:45Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Yeah holy shit, Stringer Bell. Don’t be fooled by his professionalism, Dunder Mifflin! Yes he may have a master business mind but he is still a Drug Lord!!! > > (for those of you who don’t know, the guy who played Charles also played one the top-of-the-foodchain seriously badass mofo drug dealers in _The Wire_. It’s hilarious to think of him leaving the game and settling in to the paper business!) Yeah, I kept expecting him to pull out a burner and give Avon Barksdale a call and start a conversation like, “so what are we gonna do about this Michael Scott…” ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/16 "2009-03-20T09:01:53Z")
I thought Michael said “I acquit” at the very end in his typical word confusion. The ending is ambiguous enough that it supports either version and listening to it again, it still sounds vague. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Unkempt\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b782af/32.png) [@The\_Unkempt\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Unkempt_One)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/17 "2009-03-20T11:12:19Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > I thought Michael said “I acquit” at the very end in his typical word confusion. The ending is ambiguous enough that it supports either version and listening to it again, it still sounds vague. My wife and I played it back several times, and I am about 99.993% certain that Michael says “I quit.” You can tell by the pained expression on Michael’s face when David is telling him that he will pay for the party that he knows that David just doesn’t really understand the gravity of the situation (at least in Michael’s mind.) That, combined with Michael saying “You have no idea how high I can fly” makes me pretty sure that he just quit at the end of the episode. Now, I’m sure that he won’t actually end up quitting since paper is in his blood, but Michael sure thinks he will. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/18 "2009-03-20T11:50:46Z")
Why would he say “I acquit”? That line would make absolutely no sense. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/19 "2009-03-20T12:33:36Z")
Maybe the glove didn’t fit. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110/20 "2009-03-20T12:43:17Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > Right, Jim is in charge of sales right? It’s not as if he got Dwight old (fake) job? Maybe he was saying is that there’s not fiscal reason to have Jim in that position. Especially being the goof he was being. > > I don’t know, everyone who seems to be ‘the bad guy’ get’s a lot of hate, (like Ryan), but the show doesn’t have an antagonist these days. I actually think Andy is the sales manager. Jim is #2 in that in Michael’s absence he manages accounting, QC, etc. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-office-new-boss/490110.md?page=2)