I hate California, Robert

Season 8 of The Office will come to a close tonight and along with it, I hope we can say the same about Dunder Mifflin/Sabre CEO, Robert California. When Michael Scott exited the show toward the end of Season 7, our favorite paper company was in need of leadership - enter Mr. California. That move has forced me to write this letter.

-------

Dear Robert California -

I've found your participation during this season of The Office to be boring and nearing burdensome. Nothing (good or bad) seems to come from you whenever you are on the screen and I feel like you say the same thing every time you speak. Its not your fault, you were in a no win situation having to follow in the footprints of a legend in Michael Scott.

I will note two exceptions: a) the scene in which you are practicing wrestling in your Florida apartment, b) the skinny dipping scene from the last night in your Scranton home. Both were spontaneous and funny, which begs the question - what the heck were you doing the rest of the time?

Please don't take this personally, but Mr. California it is time to move on and hopefully you can look back fondly on your time in Scranton and at Dunder Mifflin / Sabre.

Sincerely,

Every Fan of the Office
(Especially Scott Peper)

-------

As far as the show goes, I'm guessing there was a lot of pressure to capitalize on the momentum of last season and they wanted make a strong statement with whatever happened with the management change. While there probably wasn't a perfect option available, after watching this season I'll submit that Robert California was the wrong move. The character is plenty quirky to qualify as a member of the Dunder Mifflin - Scranton branch, the problem is that he just doesn't fit well with the other members of the office.

The choice should have been to focus on the remaining members of the office and allow for new blood to account for tertiary plots as we found our way in a Michael Scott-less office. Instead, it feels like the California character has been invented to re-purpose Michael's antics - something that is unattainable.

Here's looking to tonight's finale and Season 9.