My favorite new TV show is NBC’s Community, because it uses wit and double speak to a positive end, not simply hollow snark. And this fresh perspective on storytelling is made even more clear when contrasted with The Office, which this season has transformed Michael Scott’s managerial style from one of a bumbling fool to a true idiot savant. I wonder if there is a deeper and darker arc here.

The character Jim Halpert has often been the audience’s avatar or voice of reason. Michael’s transformation has come with Jim’s ascendency to co-manager, and Jim has also transformed from our locus of hope into our own nightmare.

Jim’s pragmatic efforts always fall short of Michael’s whimsy. We now know that Jim will never beat Michael, for the show’s structure hinges on Michael always pulling through the fire. Jim’s ‘knowing glances’ to camera affect no change. Nor do his actions as manager. Slowly, we now see Jim becoming pained, irrelevant and obnoxious.

Are the writers crafting a larger commentary, that Jim realizing his futility is an existential crisis for us all?

Meghan Keane has written this whipsmart article about Jim Halpert. And our friend Nick takes it more macro, noting that

Lately I’ve found Jim excruciatingly annoying and the show almost unwatchable. Maybe Jim’s story arc is following the show itself: it used to be the antagonistic, irreverent upstart, but now it is the flagship of a declining company (NBC) that is accepting it’s role as the lame middle manager, and lording over the truly innovative shows like Community or Parks & Recreation.

Similar to HBO’s The Wire, structure is always larger than individuals. The office space of Dunder Mifflin will crush all who aim to escape. On the flipside, Community‘s college of Greendale is where hope now begins anew.