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The Office Season 7 Episode 23

The Inner Circle

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AIRED: May 05, 2011

6.8

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Episode Summary

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Deangelo creates an inner circle for his favorite employees, and the women notice it seems to be all guys.

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

Bored, had to skip

3.0

By JOKER677, Feb 27, 2012

Will Farrel just doesn't seem funny to me at all in any of his parts. I just got bored of the episode having people just talk about nothing and then pan back to boring interviews with Farrell. I was thinking that Jim Carey would be a much better fit without knowing he would guest star. It really does feel empty without Michael but I think the core cast can still keep the show alive until they figure something out.moreless
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7.0

By Canogaparkcindy, Jun 16, 2011

The absence of Michael Scott definitely didn't go unnoticed. But The Office still managed to deliver a quality installment. I still find Will Ferrel intolerable which kind of hurt the episode overall but the entire cast remained great.

The whole "inner circle" was hilarious. It was strange seeing the office without Michael Scott but I'm sure it's something everyone can get used too. The theme song was heartbreaking.

As for the subplots, I liked the 'sexism in the office' story line. Ryan being Kelly's boss was hilarious as well. Everyone except Will Ferrell was great, pretty much. Hopefully we find out who the new boss is soon, and fast! As long as Will Ferrel leaves, I think the show will do fine.moreless
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Ferrel finally delivers a funny performance but can the series survive without Carell?

7.5

By duh555, Jun 16, 2011

Let's get the formalities out of the way first as I'm sure the main thing on your mind while reading this review is regarding the Steve Carell departure.

Yes, the series can survive without Carell, mainly due to the excellent supporting cast. However, from the Carell-less opening theme to his former office lacking any of his superfluous toys, you could definitely feel the void left by him. Perhaps it's just a learning curve but I often found myself waiting for that "I miss Michael" type line, from any of the main characters.

Regardless, the series has moved on and so should I. The episode on it's own was fairly average, perhaps a bit lower than typical office standards but definitely not bad. I have to say Ferrel was great for the most part and he finally made me laugh hysterically with his invisible juggling scene.

Ferrel's character (Deangelo Vickers) was rather unimpressive (I'm going to blame the writers on this one). At first he starts off way too serious but for the past two episodes he's been unbelievably over the top; dare I say, crazier than Michael Scott. On the subject of Deangelo, I have to say the way he got written off felt extremely lazy, especially in contrast to Michael Scott's departure which was just last week. I'm aware Deangelo wasn't exactly a fan favorite, but it still felt tacky and over the top, but I digress.

All in all, the episode itself was a testament to just how good the supporting cast is. The Office CAN survive without Carell but it definitely does need someone to step in. I don't think the show can survive with the supporting cast alone but, I do believe the cast is good enough to nurture a new Regional Manager.

With guest stars like Ricky Gervais, Catherine Tate, Will Arnett, Ray Romano, James Spader and Jim Carrey all appearing in the season finale, I can safely say that the series is in good hands (I think).moreless
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The first episode without Steve Carrell happens.

7.7

By JaCkKbAuEr2424, Jun 16, 2011

For awhile, I was flip-flopping on how I felt about the departure of Michael Scott. One day, I'd feel good about it, that the show could live on without him, and somedays, I wondered how long it would take the show to burn out.

I have to say, this is definitely a good episode of the show, but the entire time, I was definitely very aware of the fact that Michael Scott was gone. His charisma in the show has left a huge hole here, and despite Will Ferrell's toughest efforts, him acting insane is not going to make me not notice. However, I will give much props to the supporting cast for doing a great job here.. Andy, Darryl, Gabe and Dwight were all on their game tonight. Dwight was attempting to show his disdain towards Deangelo Vickers all night, and it lead to some good lines.

Will Ferrell just went over the top in this episode, to the point where I just didn't like his character anymore. However, if there's two redeeming qualities to the episode in terms of his character, it's the fake juggling act he did and the slam dunk he did at the end of the episode. I also think the way they wrote him off of the show here was pretty lame. It's as if the office was like "Hmm, we need a way to get him out. Let's think of the easiest way possible."

Overall, I think the show will be able to move on without Steve Carrel, but it'll take a while. It's going to be an adjustment period and the show may lose some viewers, but I think the supporting cast is strong enough to keep the show going.moreless
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5/5

1.0

By thefanof, Jun 16, 2011

Remember That 70's Show without Eric and Kelso in Season 8? Yeah, that is pretty much what this show is like. Not that Michael Scott was necessary for this show to continue, because he was not, but the show just has no direction right now. Stop keeping people guessing who the next boss is, just tell us so we can try to enjoy whatever they pass off as a comedy program. Will Ferrell was absolutely disastrous here tonight. It was almost he forgot how to be funny. And the rest of the cast seemed clueless as to what to do without Michael there.

If this is The Office next season, I pity the fans of the show.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Rainn Wilson	Dwight Schrute
John Krasinski	Jim Halpert
Jenna Fischer	Pam Beesly Halpert
B.J. Novak	Ryan Howard
Leslie David Baker	Stanley Hudson
Brian Baumgartner	Kevin Malone

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

EDIT

Cody Horn	Jordan Garfield	Guest Star
Will Ferrell	Deangelo Vickers	Special Guest Star

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Episode Photos

Rainn Wilson on The Office from the epis...

© 2011 NBC Universal, Inc.
Brian Baumgartner, Oscar Nunez and Angel...

© 2011 NBC Universal, Inc.
Will Ferrell on The Office from the epis...

© 2011 NBC Universal, Inc.
Will Ferrell, Jenna Fischer and Craig Ro...

© 2011 NBC Universal, Inc.

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NOTES (1)
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- The opening credits are revamped following Steve Carell's departure, including a new scene of B.J. Novak and a new ending with Will Ferrell mimicking Steve Carell's scene of adjusting a trinket on the desk.
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