There are many options to help society learn life lessons today. The most popular way that we learn lessons about life is through television. These lessons can be seen in television series such ‘Modern Family,’ ‘Friends,’ which endorse them. The American version is a prime example of a television series. The quirky office workers at Dunder-Mifflin in Scranton, Pennsylvania, are the subject of the show. This series is immensely popular thanks to the unique mockumentary format. The one-on-1 conversations with employees and relatable, yet odd plotlines make it very popular. The show’s cast portrays some of life’s most embarrassing and challenging situations, in order to relate to their audience and teach them valuable lessons. The episode, ‘Goodbye Michael’, is the last episode of season seven’s ‘The Office’. Michael shows us through extreme close ups, symbolism and narration that even the most difficult people can have to say goodbye.
The Office’s uniqueness is the absence of a single narrator. All employees at Dunder-Mifflin are often the show’s narrators. It allows viewers to view the characters’ perspectives and feel in certain situations. There is no one narrator. Michael provides a crucial perspective on the episode. One of his conversations with Holly revealed that he was actually planning to fly out the following day. He tells his employees that he won’t be leaving until the next day, despite working a full shift. He lies to his employees about the day Michael leaves him. This is to avoid having to say goodbye to Michael on a final, difficult day. He makes sure to plan out each goodbye individually throughout the entire episode. Some goodbyes are in the form a gift while others include advice. While some employees received cheap gifts such as Oscar’s scarecrow doll, other characters were presented with more genuine gifts such as Dwight’s letter of recommendation. These gifts are Michael’s way of saying goodbye to his employees without being too emotional. We get to know the characters and their relationships with Michael through the series, even though only Michael and the audience are aware of the goodbyes. Even though Michael is a snarky goofball, he eventually accepts that his humor is a normal defense mechanism for people going through difficult times. Sovereign Health explained that Humor can be helpful in coping with traumas or other unpleasant situations. The problem is that this habit can lead to a destructive behavior if it is used in an attempt to hide or hurt others. You will notice many types of symbolism that are being displaced throughout the episode. This shows how difficult it is for Michael. One of his many trophies for Worlds Best Boss is one example. Michael owned a mug engraved with “World’s Best Boss”, which he bought himself for each of the seven seasons. He reveals his story in this episode. After receiving the award for “World’s Best Boss 2011,” he throws out the mug, which was a major deal on the show. The mug had been a symbol for Michael’s love and devotion to his work and employees. Michael now finds a new level of appreciation from his employees, having finally received a trophy. Michael’s career has been a struggle, but he is finally able to appreciate and be loved by his staff. Michael begins to feel overwhelmed by the final goodbyes. Oscar asks him a simple question. This question is to determine where Michael’s Colorado home is. He felt secure in his office for many years. Allumniportal states that “Home can help us to find our way and provide a sense of security in these turbulent times.” Many people feel homeless because they’ve had to leave their homes.” For many, a home is a symbol of stability, strength and ownership. He felt vulnerable because of not knowing where his new house was. He thought his office was his home, and his family were his employees. But he realized that this is not his “home”.
The Office’s episodes often feature close-ups of employees in order to show their emotions or reactions. You will see many close-ups with Michael in this particular episode. One particular scene shows Michael sitting alone at the table, while the camera man zooms in to his emotionless face. Instead of seated with everyone, the camera man zooms into Michael’s face. Although Michael pretends to be strong, the scene makes it clear that he isn’t emotionally. The only way they can express their feelings is to zoom in on Michaels face while everyone else is busy eating. Although he is trying to keep his emotions out of the public eye, his expressions and physical presence let everyone know that he has a deep desire to be close to people.
The Office isn’t just a sitcom. The show can be described as a work-of-art. The show feels more real because it is mockumentary. It’s easy to forget that you’re actually watching TV because the characters frequently ask questions of the audience and talk to them about their problems. Many of the issues discussed in the show are relatable to real life and offer many opportunities for people to learn from their experiences. Many little details, such as the narration, symbolism, close-ups and close-ups can reveal a lot more about Michael’s story than the audience may realize. This is how the episode works and what makes it so special.
