The Office showed up on the American screens a decade and a half ago and its fanbase continues to grow today. The series has great re-watch value, so fans keep going back to it. After re-watching the pilot episode, there are several things that may have gone unnoticed on the first watch.
These details may have gone unobserved, as there was no perspective regarding the progression of the series. Here is a list of some of the details that the audience may have missed while watching the pilot episode the first time.
10 The Real Meredith Showed Up From Episode Two
Fans grew to love Meredith, the supply relations representative, played by Kate Flannery. But viewers, on their first viewing of the pilot, may have not noticed that the woman in Meredith’s chair is not Kate Flannery.
This office employee was played by Henriette Mantel. She was present at Meredith's desk for the first episode only. The real Meredith that fans know and love showed up from the second episode on.
9 Several Unknown Faces
A bunch of people are shown in episode 1 who were never introduced to the audience later. When the pilot episode of The Office was being shot, the supporting cast of the series was not finalized yet.
The characters who were finalized were Michael, Dwight, Jim, Pam, and Ryan. The rest of the casting was still in the developing phase when the pilot was filmed.
8 The Pilot Cast A Sad Shadow On Pam’s Character
Pam Beesly, played by Jenna Fischer, is a receptionist who has a meek voice in the pilot episode. This character seldom speaks over a murmur. The mumbling character was conspicuously stuck in her professional and personal life.
As Pam’s character progresses and she leaves Roy, the audience starts to have hope that she'll be a strong character in the episodes to come. But after only watching the pilot and with little knowledge of what was to come, the audience felt sad for the character.
7 The Office Building From The Outside Was Different
In one of the shots of the pilot episode, the camera pans to the office building from the outside and it is a completely different building than what is later shown in the series.
It is quite big as opposed to the more personal and smaller office shown throughout the series.
6 Michael Came Off As An Unlikable Character
The lead character of Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell, came off as a mean, unlikable character. In the later seasons, he is portrayed as a mean, naïve, yet lovable person, but in the first episode, he was just downright selfish.
His jokes were either sexist or lame. He wanders around the office in order to impress the new employee, Ryan Howard. He even feigned Pam’s firing as a prank, which brings Pam to tears.
5 Jim, The Depressed Prankster
Jim Halpert, played by John Krasinski, is a sales representative and a notable prankster in the office. In the pilot episode, he was pining for Pam and hated his job, which was kind of depressing to watch for the audience.
However, he came far in the series, both professionally and personally, and the audience forgot about his low and sad start.
4 Jim And Pam's Friendship
Jim's friendship with Pam was one of the most prominent subplots of the first season. He pranked and irritated Dwight, which pleased Pam.
Their friendship is one of the best plotlines of the show, as the audience connected with the feelings and the connect was palpable, even from the pilot episode.
3 Dwight Schrute Remained The Most Consistent Character
Dwight Schrute turns out to be the most consistent character of the series in terms of personality.
By later on in the series, he developed into a strong character, but he was awesome from the pilot episode until the very end of the show.
2 The Pilot Was A Copy Of The British Version Of The Office
The pilot episode of the American version went on to use several lines, dialogues, and gags from the British version. It led to a discussion of the comparison between American and British television series. This debate did not help the show, as it was considered as a copycat with a lack of originality.
After the series was picked up, the second episode wasn't shot until six months after the first episode. At this point, the creators of the show ditched the plotlines of the parent show and focused on making the American version as an individual entity, instead of replicating the British version.
1 The Pilot Was A Weak Portrayal Of What The Office Was To Offer In The Future
The pilot of The Office was broadcast on March 24th, 2005. When it aired, it was received poorly, as it came off as a copy of the British series. However, the subsequent episodes received mostly positive reviews.
It is true that the first episode was not the best example of what The Office would offer later. Michael's antics, Roy's behavior with Pam, and Jim's unrequited love were depressing takes on these characters. It was also considered as one of the worst-testing pilots ever, along with Seinfeld.
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July 31, 2020 at 05:30AM
