“The Office”‘s two-part finale was well-received, but it packed a lot into its hour-long runtime. Sure, that was inevitable given the show’s large ensemble cast — the show wrapped up nearly every major character’s storyline, set them on a new path going forward, and fit in a final round of interviews. But while the densely populated plot and skillful editing allowed the finale to feel as long as possible — a treat for dedicated viewers as the show’s end loomed ahead — the episodes inevitably had a lot of ground to cover. Like a well-prepared sirloin, the excess had to be cut away.
While the on-screen Dakota wasn’t exactly a waste of screen time, she did fit into a larger problematic trend for the show’s final two episodes: new characters who were only really introduced in the finale. A bigger offender? Angela’s sister Rachael (Rachael Harris), who was mentioned earlier in the show but had supposedly fallen out with her sister. Sure, it’s nice that the pair made up in time for Angela’s wedding — but in such a tightly packed episode, any time spent on Rachael (or Dakota) could’ve been used to make more memories with the core cast — or give an absent Dunder Mifflin employee a satisfying ending.
Don’t get us wrong — overall, “The Office” finale was impressively executed. But considering the fact that its devotion to honoring characters came across as a love letter to the show’s earlier seasons and the zany antics that Dunder Mifflin employees had to endure, we can’t help but wonder if newer characters were really necessary (especially if they put the actors out).
