Cheers & Jeers: The Office --- California, Here He Comes ...

Jeers to The Office for mismanaging the transition to the James Spader era.

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Just what is supposed to be amusing about new Dunder Mifflin CEO Robert California? And, by the way, why is he spending so much time in Scranton? Two episodes into the new season, Spader has yet to deliver anything resembling a laugh-out-loud punchline. He's mostly just played mind games with his employees, attempting to turn them against one another and making wild demands for sales increases.

The Office's writers seem to be confusing funny ha-ha with funny-strange — and not for the first time. (Will Ferrell's Deangelo Vickers, we hardly knew ye, thank God.) Spader successfully straddled the line between comedy and drama for years on Boston Legal. Surely, he can't be so serious on a sitcom.

What do you think of James Spader on The Office?

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