Last year, loyal Office fans found out the unthinkable: Steve Carell-- and the beloved Michael Scott character, would be leaving the show. Many predicted that this would be the end of the show, that the famous Scranton branch just didn't have enough juice without the antics of Scott. Others, like Carell himself, were optimistic that the show would go on without him, even flourish. Almost a year later, Carell has indeed left the show (exiting through a love storyline nonetheless). But what now? Has The Office suffered??

Yes and no. There have definitely been a lot of awkward moments with the show (and no, not in the hilarious way). First there was the uncomfortable transition period where Steve Carell and Will Ferrell were both on the show. Then, Michael Scott's last episode was pretty anticlimactic. We eventually got use to Will Ferrell's anxious character, and just when the new pace of the show started to set in, Ferrell was suddenly snatched away from the story (He suffers a brain injury??). The last two episodes then featured a search party for a new boss with a slew of famous faces padded in for good assurance (Jim Carey, Kevin James, Ray Romano, etc.).

It's all really a big mess. To be fair, though, the show has lost a lot of it's appeal in the last few seasons anyway. There's no longer a pressing love story, and we all know the characters pretty well at this point. I believe there's hope yet though. Either a big name boss (My vote's for Jim Carey) or some newcomers which really breathe new life into the show (think Season 3 style with Rashida Jones and Ed Helms) could really rescue the show. With Steve Carell gone, it's an opportunity for the show to get back on track. What we do know is that the strategy the writer's are using now "ain't it".

It's sink or swim time.