Has The Office Found Its New Boss in James Spader?

The Office is close to hiring James Spader — but not as Dunder Mifflin's Scranton head.Instead, Spader — whose creepy Robert California interviewed to replace Michael Scott (Steve Carell) in the finale — is being sought to replace Jo (Kathy Bates) as CEO of the paper company, Entertainment Weekly reports.

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"In the finale, he kicked ass," a source tells the magazine. "He was so funny and had this weird energy. We didn't want to pass it up."Bates, who has a full-time gig on Harry's Law, has guest-starred on the sitcom the past two seasons, but should Spader join, Robert would appear weekly.No deal is done and scripts haven't been written yet, but if everything works out, Spader will appear in the season premiere as the new office manager. (About 22 percent of TVGuide.com voters want Spader to replace Carell.) Robert then decides the role is too small for him and convinces corporate to promote him to CEO — a position in which he'll freak the staff out with his eeriness and manipulate them.

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This, of course, means the position of Scranton branch manager is still open, though British comedienne Catherine Tate is reportedly a strong contender. Tate played Nellie Bertram, aka Jo's best friend (though she's not her best friend), in the finale.What do you think of this potential hiring? Should Spader replace Bates?