Confession: after I do the occasional rewatch of The Workplace, I generally tend to skip Season 1. Whereas I do not suppose that the debut run is unhealthy by any means, it’s a stretch when the writers and the actors had been all nonetheless determining what the present was and who the characters are, and it would not have the correct power that the NBC sitcom had throughout its greatest years. Due to my missing rewatches, nonetheless, I’ve by no means actually paid consideration to the important thing aesthetic adjustments that the present goes by after its first six episodes.
Rainn Wilson, who will without end be remembered for his flip because the lovable/indignant/bizarre Dwight Schrute, was not too long ago a visitor on the Good Guys podcast hosted by Josh Peck and Ben Soffer, and in discussing The Workplace in its earliest kind, he famous that the cinematography and the way in which that characters are offered wholly adjustments within the present’s second season. Whereas early episodes actually try for the “actual world” really feel that ought to be an extension of the documentary format, the filmmakers eased up on that concept in episode seven and past. Stated Wilson,
There is a huge shift between Season 1 and Season 2. I do not know in the event you seen that. In case you watch season one, it’s totally drab. It is darkly lit. Individuals don’t have any make-up on. There’s nothing like American tv about it in any respect. After which in season two, like Steve does his hair a bit of higher, we’re sporting a bit of nicer fits. The set will get a bit of hotter in the way in which that it is lit, it is shot just a bit bit friendlier, and it did assist lots.
It isn’t mentioned by the actor particularly why The Workplace determined to make this aesthetic change – however we are able to most likely assume it had one thing to do with making an attempt to earn extra viewers enchantment (in case you have not figured this out but from the total historical past of movie and tv, however viewers have a tendency to love fairly individuals). That being mentioned, I suppose that I may argue that there’s a logic to the change on the planet of the present: realizing that the documentary crew was going to stay round for some time, the staff at Dunder Mifflin opted to current themselves a bit of higher. And maybe the operator of the enterprise park did some upkeep to enhance the lighting.
Extra than simply The Workplace Season 2 being brighter and extra “presentable,” the present additionally sees an perspective change in its method to its characters. Clearly Steve Carell’s Michael Scott stays an ignorant fool, however he’s made to be a bit much less merciless, and his edges are softened. Rainn Wilson explains how this was a part of the NBC incarnation of the present separating itself from its British predecessor, saying,
I believe we had been a bit of too near the unique BBC sort of actually darkish model of The Workplace early on. The present modified and simply grew to become a bit of bit hotter and a bit of extra human, and I believe Michael Scott grew to become a bit of bit extra likable. I believe it was the Halloween episode the place you see Michael Scott handing out sweet to youngsters and simply loving it, simply to see that like Michael Scott’s bought an enormous coronary heart. He is a doofus. He at all times says the incorrect factor, however he is a lovable man. Extra of that was sort of introduced in because the present went alongside.
Maybe this would be the catalyst that will get me to do a brand new rewatch that really begins with The Workplace Season 1. I am definitely curious to witness the change and word the aesthetic and vibe shift for the episodes. As a bodily media collector, I will fortunately make use of the Blu-ray boxset that I bought just a few years in the past, however the entire episodes (together with the prolonged Tremendous Fan edits) are additionally accessible to stream immediately with a Peacock subscription.