What I'm Watching: The Office (Season Premiere)

The Office: Season 7, Episode 1 "Nepotism" (B+)

I read (and even wrote) so much about how bad last season of this show was that I hadn't bothered getting excited about this season too much. Fortunately, I was in for a pleasant surprise starting with the fun lip-syncing opening sequence, followed by a new set of opening credits with fresh images but still crediting only Andy and Ryan (still?) along with the core four members. The revelation that Gabe is dating Erin is somewhat of a shock, but it should give Andy some good motivation for plotting revenge against the peculiar Sabre employee. I enjoyed the introduction of the much-hated new assistant, played by Evan Peters from "Invasion," especially when it came to Darryl's reaction. Finding out that he was Michael's nephew made it much more interesting, leading to a spanking scene that was about as awkward as this show likes to get. I do love Jim's looks and commentary when Michael says ridiculous stuff, and his note that he's had the busiest summer of his life since Dwight bought the building was great. This episode showcased an absolutely wonderful performance from Jenna Fischer, and I'll heartily defend Pam being married to Jim as a fantastic route for this show to anyone who thinks otherwise. Kelly thinking she's smart now is pretty hilarious, and I hope that she, along with some of the other supporting characters, are featured prominently this season. Two other terrific tidbits: Michael talking about the Blair Witch Hunt Project, and Creed explaining that he follows Luke on Twitter because he doesn't talk about Betty White all the time.