I was nervous about this season of The Office. I'm a firm believer in the 6-season rule—most shows should end after hitting that magic number—and The Office wasn't exactly consistent last year. This season hasn't been so bad, though. The wedding episode was elegantly, superbly done. Rainn Wilson has upped the ante on his physical comedy, and the results have been hilarious. And I certainly don't mind seeing John Krasinski in a suit. But the standout performance of the season hasn't come from Wilson, Krasinski, Steve Carell, or Jenna Fischer. It's come from the supporting cast.
Oscar Nunez has totally killed this season as gay Mexican accountant Oscar Martinez. Nunez's acting has always been spot-on, but the Oscar character hasn't really been more than the slightly bitter recipient of a constant stream of racist/homophobic jokes. Until now, he hasn't had much of a personality or a physical presence at Dunder-Mifflin.
Remember the season opener? Michael (Carell) asked Oscar for advice about a safe word to use during his colonoscopy. Oscar's resulting expression of bewilderment was one of the most hilarious moments of the entire series. And Oscar came through again at Jim (Krasinski) and Pam's (Fischer) wedding, interpretive-dancing with Kevin down the aisle in a style best described as "how an accountant would do the robot." His moves rivaled those of Elaine Benes—and that's a high compliment.
In last week's episode, "Murder," Oscar attempted a fake falsetto'd Southern accent, the results of which were both unsuccessful and hysterical. And last night, in "Shareholder Meeting," Michael forced Oscar to ad-lib a non-existent contingency plan in front of the shareholders. Of course, Oscar delivered nothing but an awkward silence, but humiliating Michael yet again was enough to bring the laughs.
It's about time Oscar takes center stage—The Office has long proven that it's big enough for multiple comedic personalities. Oscar said it himself in "The Promotion": "Look, it doesn't take a genius to know that every organization thrives when it has two leaders. Go ahead, name a country that doesn't have two presidents. A boat that sets sail without two captains. Where would Catholicism be, without the popes." Indeed, Oscar. Dunder-Mifflin would be unfunny without you.
Comments (7)
I'm not loving this season, but the Oscar accent is definitely making the list of my top TV moments this fall. Hi-lar-i-ous!
Oscar.. Really??
Writer is trying to sound politically correct. Oscar is funny but no more than kevin, stanley, or the rest.
Stop with the gay praising america, its gotten old
I like Oscar, but seriously? He's not the person making the show this season. If it's anyone doing that, it would be Dwight and Andy. Sure, Oscar's had a bigger role than the other accountants, and done a few funny things, but he's far from the funniest thing on the show, unless you're referring to his sexual preference.
This article is completely exaggerative. Oscar's presence is just as "significant" as it was in season one.
Stefanie, I totaly agree with you.Oscar is great for the show. I thought, though that a speach/a snap in front of DMI management would have been more hillarious than silence. Also I'm missing Toby.
The accent thing was really hilarious but a few of Oscars scenes didn't seem that funny to me but turned me off a little bit the holier then thou attitude but thats just me