The Office 8.01 "The List"

Fair or not, the first episode of The Office without Steve Carell was going to determine whether or not viewers stuck around for a little while longer. Think about it: who are you watching the show for now? It's of course a great ensemble cast, but the whole 'Let's just throw in some guest stars and let them riff with our regulars' tactic can't last forever. This episode had to establish a new direction and comedic tone that we could enjoy for the rest of the series.

The verdict? Looks like the the eighth season may be the last. The cast just can't survive without Michael Scott, because he was the focal point of each relationship and storyline. Just think about all the ways he dominated that show:

-We don't get to see him romping around the office and warehouse anymore, and if someone else were to try that it'd just be stale. Andy Bernard has none of the stupidly charismatic charm of Michael Scott, so when you install him as the boss, you shouldn't try to make him that guy. Too bad. The writers make Andy just as insecure in his position as Michael was, and now he has to deal with the in-house threat of CEO Robert California (James Spader). Didn't we already see this when Michael had to deal with Stringer Bell? It was the same storyline, down to the upper-management guy breaking down and trying unsuccessfully trying to make friends with everyone. It doesn't just work as well when we have to see Andy Bernard on-screen for more than 90 seconds. Strike One.