Yesterday, it was announced that he’ll be guest-starring on an episode of The Office this season as Andy Bernard’s younger brother, Walter. You may recall the following, from “The Delivery”:

Don’t get too hung up on baby names. I was named Walter Jr. after my father until I was about six or so, when my parents changed their minds. My brother was born, and my parents felt he better exemplified the Walter Jr. name, so they gave it to him. I was given Andrew, which they got out of a baby name book.

It’s so sick and weird, and obviously whoever grew up as Walter Jr., the chosen one, would end up being an insufferable human being, so it’ll be interesting to meet him. (I’m assuming that Groban’s character will be insufferable–do you think he’s being typecast as someone who is insufferable?) The plot is curious because we don’t yet know why we need to meet Andy’s family, which will also include Stephen Collins as Walter Sr. and Dee Wallace as Mom. Other family members have been introduced organically–it made sense to meet Pam’s family at her wedding, or Dwight’s family at his beet farm. I’m becoming increasingly concerned that Andy will, in fact, become the Scranton branch manager.

Talk about insufferable.

When you think back on the Office news since Carell’s departure, all anyone has to get excited about is new casting. Is anyone actually looking forward to the plot?

even jenna fischer believes jim and pam have become boring and sexless. // nbc promotional photo

Jenna Fischer told New York Magazine this week that her real-life pregnancy will be written in to The Office. I guess they heard all my griping about James Spader and figured they needed to find a way to keep me invested.

Said Fischer, “Pam will be pregnant when the season starts. Pam and Jim snuck away last season on Valentine’s Day, and they had sex. The story is that they conceived this baby at that time and were keeping it a secret until we come back from the summer.”

Couple thoughts:

1. Does Jenna really believe that Pam and Jim have sex so infrequently that it’s a good thing the writers made such a blatant insinuation in “PDA”? That’s cold.
2. There’s really no reason NOT to write in the pregnancy. Pam and Jim are happy, they’ve already done the first baby storyline (meaning #2 will be even LESS of a burden than Cece), and it’s the best excuse for sending Jenna on her real maternity leave. Also, BABIES!!!!!!!
3. It actually could be pretty funny. Remember that the Cece news was big enough to merit taking The Office’s cliffhanger spot in 2009. #2 is the afterthought. Also, after how big of a deal the whole unplanned pregnancy thing was, it’s hilarious that Pam got pregnant less than a year after the first one was born. And likely accidentally, once more.
4. Please don’t let Jenna name this one.

After listening to writers, actors, and pundits talk about the inherent creative opportunities in Steve Carell’s departure, it’s hard for me to see this as anything more than a safe bet cop-out. I’ve felt disconnected from the Office writers for a few seasons now–Has their sense of humor changed? Has mine?–but I just really don’t understand what they’re going for here.

Says executive producer Paul Lieberstein,

“James will reprise his role as Robert California, this uber-salesman that has a power to convince and manipulate, like a high-class weirdo Jedi warrior. He’ll have been hired over the summer as the new manager, but within hours, got himself promoted. Within days, he took over the company. James has an energy that is completely his own, and The Office has no tools for dealing with this guy. We’re thrilled he’s joining our cast.”

The Office started with such a simple concept—one so universally relatable that it has been replicated in countries around the world. And yet its greatest strength (the painful monotony of office work) has, in many ways, become its greatest weakness. Turns out, there are only so many stories you can tell about corporate banality. And whereas the hiring of a new boss could have been an opportunity to bring in something completely different, it feels like they let that chance pass them by.

They could definitely prove me wrong here. Perhaps it was never about who would sit in Michael Scott’s chair, but rather about giving the writers a fresh character to write for. Or perhaps Spader will surprise me and bring something completely new and hilarious to the show. Maybe the boring creepmonster thing will grow on me. Or maybe—just maybe—as others have suggested, he will in fact turn out to be the Scranton Strangler, and we can all go home happy.

Where We Ended: Scott-less and a little uneasy. With no clear direction for next season (and no decided-upon successor to Steve), The Office feels like it needs a strong captain. Also, everyone accepts now that Ben and Leslie are the new Jim and Pam.

Outstanding Episode Along the Way: “Garage Sale” was perfect. The first 27 minutes led us to believe that Michael and Holly were going to get a heartbreaking ending, with him timing a proposal so badly (even for his own standards), she’d have no choice but to say no and move to Colorado. The resulting conclusion—not only did she say yes, but she didn’t even have to ask him to move to the Mountain Time Zone—was one of the greatest television moments of the season. (Also, randomly, I loved “WUPHF.com.”)

MVP: Is it weird if I pick Erin? I thought she was so great during her phase of Holly-hating: “I’ve looked her up online. There’s nothing about her. She’s made no impression on the Internet.” Over the course of the season, she’s become much more than the sweet-but-annoying receptionist. In the finale, when Andy suggested that Erin wasn’t really that great, I was INDIGNANT. Jerk.

Best Payoff: I’ve been waiting for a follow-up to “The Dundies” since the first trip to Chili’s aired in 2005. (2005! I am old!) And even if Michael and I were hoping it would be more like The Godfather, Part III, it was fun to revisit the “tradition.” It only loses points for not explaining why it is no longer hosted at Chili’s—obviously, Pam is still not welcome there.

Quote of the Year: “Your wife becoming, will be I.” Favorite Office proposal ever. Yes, I mean that.

Worst Storyline: Anything involving Gabe. Is he really moving to Florida? If so, season eight is already looking up. He’s a soggy toast creepster, that guy.

Spend the Summer Wondering…: … when they’re going to officially hire Nellie Bertrum. “I think I’m her best friend.  She’s not my best friend.”

Please be my best friend.

My favorite girl band, Subtle Sexuality, is back this week with “The Girl Next Door,” the follow-up to their smash success, “Male Prima Donna.” I’ve been anticipating this single for months now, and it definitely doesn’t disappoint.

The premise is based on that of Taylor Swift’s instant classic “You Belong with Me,” in which the blonde, nerdy Taylor pines for the cutie neighbor boy—and ultimately steals him away from the brunette, skanky Taylor. In this version, Kelly plays the titular girl next door, while Erin is the slutty mean one. Difference is, Subtle Sexuality’s version doesn’t have the happy ending that Taylor’s does. That’s okay, though, because my favorite part of the whole song is the bridge, where Ryan Ry Howard recounts his disappointing life with “the hot girl” from an older, wiser perspective.

Serves you right.

Other highlights include a great Marc Anthony/J. Lo shout-out, a not-so-subtle focus on the characters’ socioeconomic differences, and the line, “I’ve got 2,000 friends on Facebook / I eat a ham sandwich alone in my office nook,” which, by the way, is about to become my go-to lunchtime GChat status.

In addition to previously-announced guest stars Ricky Gervais and Will Arnett, The Office has added James Spader, Ray Romano, and Catherine Tate to the season finale’s guest cast. While Spader and Romano obviously have long and storied histories on American television, Tate’s work is far more under the radar, far less mainstream, and decidedly British.

Across the pond, Tate is known for her sketch comedy series, The Catherine Tate Show, as well as a season as Donna Noble, Ten’s companion on Doctor Who. (She’s also an accomplished stage actress, who’s appearing this summer in Much Ado About Nothing opposite David Tennant.)

I had a good squealfest last night about this news, because, despite not knowing the role they’ve written for Tate or the direction the show wants to go in with a replacement for Michael, I can’t help but feel like she’s completely perfect for this job.

Tate is a brilliant comedian. As Donna, Tate was by far the funniest companion, but she also brought so much heart to Doctor Who. Unlike universe-crossing love interest Rose Tyler or whiny crush-harboring Martha Jones, Donna was the Doctor’s best friend without benefits or expectations, which gave the character altogether different and wonderful reasons for following the Doctor through space and time. Over the course of season four, Tate provided some of Doctor Who’s wittiest, quickest, and most touching moments. (She also figured out the whole TARDIS coral thing, so that Rose and Ten can build their own TARDIS, for which I am eternally grateful.)

She’d be an unexpected choice—and by far the least known actor in the running for the job—but, creatively, I think she’d be an amazing hire. With actors like James Spader and Will Arnett, you can pretty much count on what they’re bringing to the table. The Office at its best is understated and casual, not adjectives often used to describe either of these actors. And as TVLine pointed out, Romano is committed to TNT’s Men of a Certain Age, so it’s highly doubtful he’s on board for more than May’s finale. (Ditto for Arnett, who’s signed on to a pilot, and Gervais, who’s never been seen as a serious candidate for a full-time gig stateside, no matter how great that could be.)

Ultimately, these candidates could all be brought in for interviews in the season finale, and then Sabre could just choose to promote from within. But with such a huge change underfoot, I’m increasingly feeling like this is a huge opportunity to shake things up and introduce a completely new character who will really change the dynamic of the show—without changing the tone. And for that reason, I’m gunning for Catherine Tate.

(Bonus points if you make bringing in your own team a condition of taking the job. I have no idea if the Children of Time can sell paper, but they CAN stop the Daleks from destroying reality and fly the earth home in time for supper.)

American Idol’s Bleep-Filled Shockfest. I kind of hate the American Idol results shows—they almost always feel like 57 minutes of filler before 3 minutes of actual tension and results. But last night’s show was different from start to finish, including a performance from my favoritey favorites, Sugarland. I could’ve had a great night just talking about Jennifer Nettles’s pants. But then with the extremely surprising announcement that Casey Abrams, long considered a front-runner (EW picked him to win the whole shebang), had been eliminated, the evening just went insane. From Randy Jackson stopping Casey mid-song to announce that the judges were saving him to Casey’s bleep-riddled relief, that was just GOOD TELEVISION. I make a point not to talk about reality television on this blog, but I’m not sure anyone could have scripted that five minutes any better.

Michael’s Proposal to Holly on The Office. God, that was so well-done. The show set that episode up to play out absolutely tragically. The somber moments about Holly’s family peppered throughout the episode (especially her poignant conversation with Phyllis about caring for aging parents) weighted the half-hour so heavily that it seemed Michael would completely botch the proposal by not picking up on his girlfriend’s pain and would end up ruining their relationship forever. Contributing to this set-up were the rumors we’d heard that Amy Ryan would (or wouldn’t or would or wouldn’t or would) be in one or any of Steve Carell’s final episodes. I felt a sad kind of fear throughout the episode, which was so nicely resolved by the sweet, realistic, dare I say beautiful final scene. He didn’t screw it up! She said YES! (Actually, she said, “Your wife becoming be will I.” Classic.) And the tension was broken with the announcement we’ve all known was coming—Michael is leaving. On his own terms, for the right reasons, the result of one good decision. Perfection.

Aaron Sorkin on 30 Rock. Oh, holy crackers. A walk-and-talk between Aaron Sorkin and Liz Lemon is something I did not know I needed before last night.

“You know my work,” he tells Liz. “I’m Aaron Sorkin—The West Wing, A Few Good Men, The Social Network…”

“Studio 60,” she interjects.

“Shut up.”

This one’s staying on the DVR.

Fox Renews Fringe! There was dancing. There was a celebratory shot of whiskey. There was a scream so loud I’m sure my neighbors thought my apartment was being burgled. I’m surprised, relieved, and so so so so so happy. I have a feeling the rest of the season is going to be pretty dark, and while I’m really excited, it would have killed me if this series had ended on a bleak note. It would have killed me if this series had ended at all. For Fox to make such a vote of confidence in the series (Kevin Reilly says it’s “truly hit a creative stride and has distinguished itself as one of television’s most original programs.”) just pleases me beyond explanation. The climb up the ranks of Twitter’s trending topics was the icing on a really joyful cupcake. Next step? Spending the summer politely convincing people to watch it.

This doesn’t even get into how great Parks and Recreation was, or how better-than-mediocre Grey’s Anatomy managed to be last night. Now I’m tired, and my throat hurts from all the screaming. Not bad for a random Friday morning in March.

(It also completes Arnett’s Must-See TV Trifecta, as he has already made appearances on Parks and Recreation and 30 Rock. I think he gets a sticker for that.)

Now, much ado will likely be made about the possibility of one of these guys replacing Michael Scott. Hell, I made a little ado about it two paragraphs ago. But ultimately, I don’t think either of these guys will actually end up taking a permanent role on the series.

I do think, however, that they’ll be interviewing for Michael’s job. When Gervais brought David Brent stateside in the fall, he off-handedly asked Michael if Dunder-Mifflin was hiring, to which Michael replied, “Not right now.” It was a cute, meta joke about Steve Carell’s impending departure and the rumors that Gervais could return full-time. Now, though, with the season finale likely centering on finding a new Regional Manager, it looks like they’re taking the joke a step further by bringing in Brent as a candidate. (That’s my guess, anyway.)

Arnett’s name has also been thrown around, even by Gervais himself, as a candidate for the position. I’m not sure how serious anyone is about the idea, and I personally doubt this is more than a one-time gig for Arnett.

This did get me thinking, though…

Can The Office keep this secret until May sweeps?

If the show hires a big name (Arnett included)–or even a small name on a full-time basis–can they prevent that kind of news from leaking? This show is usually good about keeping their finale secrets under wraps, but because this is so wrapped up in the casting, that doesn’t seem possible this season. Obviously, if they do “promote from within” (cough Kelly cough), it’ll be easier to keep a tighter lid on the story.

Ultimately, though, I feel there will be a surprising hire, and I’ll be thoroughly impressed if they manage to hold that surprise for the finale.

It has now been confirmed that next week’s episode of The Office will feature none other than series creator Ricky Gervais, revisiting his beloved (?) character, David Brent.

This is obviously a huge moment for the show, as such a crossover (of sorts) has been the subject of discussion since pretty much season one, episode one.

Paul Lieberstein told New York Magazine, “Ricky had wanted to do something [with the U.S. Office] and it felt like we shouldn’t go the whole series without them connecting.”

Aww.

What I find most interesting about the whole thing is something I had never thought about, summed up in this quote from NYMag.com:

“But we had some issues to work out, like how does David Brent live in the world of Michael Scott.” Producers knew it might be odd to link the universes of two office managers who both had documentary crews following them. In the end, the decision was made to shoot the scene away from Dunder-Mifflin. “It’s outside of the office, and it’s just the two of them interacting,” he says. “It’s just a little nod to Steve and his final year.”

“What’s with the cameras?”

“Oh, I’m the subject of a documentary about my work as the regional manager of a paper supply company.”

“Well, that’s a strange coincidence.”

Something interesting to think about as we head toward Michael Scott’s departure is if the show will address Michael’s departure from the documentary. The Office doesn’t do well at addressing its mockumentary frame most of the time. That may be for the best, as filming has been going on for seven years, with no end in sight. I mean, that’s commitment to your craft, guys. But regardless of the believability of the show’s frame, Michael has obviously become very accustomed to being followed, and I think we have to believe that the cameras give him an even further heightened sense of self. Does Michael even understand that the film is about Dunder-Mifflin and not about him personally?

Anyway, bringing Gervais in is a really nice nod to Carell and–hopefully–a solid “beginning of the end” moment for his character. As a caveat, writers, if this is lame, I will write off the show forever, because it should be crystal clear that these two are hilarious unscripted.

Mindy Kaling spilled some excellent news to New York Magazine yesterday, telling the folks that Subtle Sexuality is preparing a sophomore single in the wake of “Male Prima Donna”‘s success. Even better, the follow-up happens to be from my favorite genre.

Quoths NYMag.com:

“It’s a pop-country song,” Kaling told us, saying there are elements of Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift in the ditty. (The video is based specifically on Swift’s 2009 hit ”You Belong With Me,” in which Swift plays, as Kaling puts it, “both the girl next door and the hot, bitchy girl.”) The plot of the webseries revolves around how Erin (Kemper) and Kelly (Kaling) “are obsessed with the video” and remake it, Subtle Sexuality–style. “Erin plays the hot, popular girl and Kelly plays the dorky, shy nerd,” Kaling explains. “Kelly realizes that on some level the actual star part is to be the nerd, but she’s still jealous of Erin.”

“You Belong With Me” happens to be one of my very favorite songs, and not just because of its relation to Fringe. [Aaaand this reference has officially been on the blog twice today, which should tell you something about my love for it.]

The short skirt/t-shirt dichotomy is one that most girls can identify with post-high school, and as a girl of the t-shirt persuasion, I can say it’s pretty frustrating and hilarious. Because, like Kelly, you know that Sneakers is going to turn out great while High Heels gets the clap at community college, but Sneakers will still be envious.

And, of course, what Swift posits in the music video is that maybe every girl is a little bit Cheer Captain and a little bit Bleachers. Which is really quite profound when you think about it, the duality of the female experience. Perhaps the true meaning of this music video is that for every well-intentioned hairbrush-singing blondie trait, there’s a bitchy brunette whore trait just waiting to be revealed. Dark, eh? It’s quite possible that Darren Aronofsky was inspired to make the film Black Swan after seeing the music video to “You Belong With Me.”

How will Subtle Sexuality navigate these complex motifs? It’s a serious challenge.

Well, not really. It’ll be damn hilarious.

Just for fun: