When it was announced that Steve Carell was going to be leaving his character Michael Scott on The Office, fans had no idea how the show was going to continue with out him. When it was announced Will Ferrell would be making a guest appearance on The Office along side Steve Carrell's final episodes, fans suddenly had hope for the future. But when Will Ferrell's episodes finally came, to everyones surprise, it seemed The Office was able to do the impossible. They made Will Ferrell, Not Funny.
#theoffice #michaelscott #willferrell #nerdstalgic
The Funniest TV Characters Of All Time
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SOURCES
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www.npr.org/2011/05/05/136025...
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movieweb.com/the-office-steve...
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www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-offi...
His invisible juggling bit was pretty good. Plus the line "that baby could be the star of a show called 'Babies I don't care about'."
Also like where he reveals his name was deangelo 😂
It doesn't justify his guest appearance.
@@redacted2275 says whom?
@@redacted2275 eh, having him on the show could have been better but it was still interesting to see what the writers did .
I do say “and then I gotta…get him to the Dundies” kinda often for as much as I dislike his character
This was the whole point. People loved Michael Scott. So they gave them someone horrible. Then when they installed Andy as the boss it was a relief.
It was not a relief when Andy became manager lol
@@regisclarke9390I agree it wasn't a relief but it was a breath of fresh air to a degree I really enjoy. Will Ferrell but I hated him in the office
The problem is not hating Will Ferrell's character. The problem is that the character is wildly inconsistent.
I hated Andy as the boss. They completely ruined his character by the later seasons. Like, when he first came into the show he was at least a competent salesman, yet they tried their damndest to show how he’s not a good salesman anymore, one of worst in the office.
Ye the problem wasn’t that he was unlikable, just badly written
I do like that we got Creed as the manager.
A very classic episode
Boboddy
BIZNNIS I like it!
Those were my favorite two episodes
Don't forget it took them an entire season to get Michael right, so this kind of tracks.
If by entire season you mean 6 episodes, then sure. Also, pretty irrelevant considering Will Ferrell was never going to be part of the cast long term
Man did you just not watch show? It was like 5 episodes
Bob Odenkirk was the best choice but I will assume it was too late when they figured this out
But, if he got the role maybe we wouldn't have gotten Better Call Saul.
@@scottshanahan3827we’d be in an alternate universe where Steve Carrel is Saul Goodman 😂
Totally forgot he was in the show for a second. I think it would have been more challenging than Will Ferrell but if they did it right, it would have been great.
@@Masckerdoom he was VERY close to being the Michael for S1 but i think they said he was a way more firm manager then a loveable idiot
He was too busy being Saul Goodman at that point.
I wish you didn’t point this out. I had already forgiven them.
Stings all over again 😅
LOL same
Man, that mime juggling scene, and then Pam’s parody of it directly after has me rolling every time.
"Look one hand! No hands!"
On the floor laughing?
Some people are so easily amused
They should have made Will Ferrell a slightly toned down version of Ron Burgendy!
Absurd, but incredibly competent and successful (AKA Ron Burgundy) actually does seem like what they were going for at the beginning, now that you mention it. They just didn't stick with it.
They should've had no Will Ferrell at all. Andy and Dwight were right there, ready to be used.
I agree. I think it could have worked especially if they didn't have him "replace" the role of Michael's character in the show. Just have a bumbly, confident Office manager as one of the regulars. They made DiAngelo a bit too mean and borderline psychotic at times- I think a toned down version of Ron would have been great, and you could do more stories focused on Jim, Pam, Dwight, Andy, etc. and skip the 2 seasons of "who will be the new manager?"
@@redacted2275I think making Dwight manager completely throws the power balance between him and Jim and every episode would have just been torturing Jim for laughs, unless they gave Dwight some sort of redemptive character arc or removed Jim like in season 3.
Hell yes lol
I remember being really intrigued seeing Ferrell potentially being Carell’s replacement and being sorely disappointed by his character.
I was really disappointed when this character manifested. Not only did I thoroughly dislike him {even more than Robert California), but it put an anti-climactic tonal damper on Michael's final episodes.
Very good point
Makes me kinda dread watching the last couple michael episodes lol
I love Robert California.
nah california was great
You keep the Lizard kings name out of your fucking mouth.
5:15 ok but “they say he’s gonna be my right hand man. Ad-lib masturbation joke” was perfectly delivered
This era of the office really resonated with me because shortly before this aired i worked a job that had recently cleared a bad boss, had another bad replacement, a period of bossless chaos, a boss that we thought was going to be great but was a liar. Mix in a handful of shifting boss' bosses and the office was really real. Deangelo, David Wallace, Robert California, Jo, Idris Elba's character, Michael... one of the most real parts of the show to me.
"Idris Elba's character" You can't remember his name, can you 😂
@stephengrigg5988 i can't! I tried for a moment and the figured that it was a better commentary that the actor superceded the role. Charles Miner? I think i remembered while typing this.
@@drewe2331 yes! It was Charles. The only reason I suspected you couldn't remember, is because I couldn't remember either 😂 I feel bad because Idris gives a really good performance. Even when he played a murdering drug dealer in the wire, he was more likable than that stubborn asskissser Charles. I wish he would have been a regular antagonist, him being the only character to dislike Jim and have it out for him, was such a good concept.
I love how the office has so much content, nerdstalgic has done a million videos on it and i find each one interesting as heck. Truly one of the all time greatest television shows.
The bit where he comes back braindamaged trying to give a speech in a hospital gown will always be funny to me
I remember him telling a joke but you can't understand the words. Either way, very original and clever little piece of acting, I love how despite the gibberish it sounds like a perfect speech/joke.
Jim: “hey, you have a sec?” Vickers: “yeah I got all the time, this job a joke”
I can name at least 5 other characters/actors that the show relied on way more than Mindy Kaling.
"his attempts at drama" -- he was incredible in Stranger than Fiction
True
Stranger than Fiction is easily one of my favorite movies, and he was really good in Everything Must Go too.
I don’t understand you guys. I saw stranger than fiction in theaters and I HATED IT. One of my least favorite movies of all time
@@LightsaberGoBrrrrrrwatch it again w a new lense, I didn’t like it the first time either but my second watch it was just amazing, one of will’s best to this day
@@rjjackson2044 Eh, I suppose I could try but I'm not sure I'd want to spend the time again tbh. I really dont like Will Ferell in serious roles. Matter of fact what was the movie where hes like a broken dad or whatever and hes selling as his stuff on the front lawn? Another terrible movie imo
The way you're describing Deangelo is how I feel about Will Ferrel in every role I've seen him in, I've never found him funny.
The only films i found him hilarious were Night at rhe Roxbury and Old School. Scene stealer. Everything else he is just annouing.
@@alexsamain812What do you think of Megamind?
Same! He's rarely funny.
Step Brothers was funny, other than that I agree.
ELF though@@LayItDownTarot is a masterpiece
I really liked what Will Ferrel did with Deangelo Vickers. He had Michael’s bumbling idiocy but NONE of his heart. Michael is a child who’s trying to make everyone be his friend, Deangelo is an alien who’s trying to learn how to behave around people. I found Deangelo’s chemistry with the rest of the cast interesting to watch through that lens. It’s fair enough if people just didn’t find him funny, but we were never supposed to like him more than Michael.
Exactly, he wasn't playing funny. Will Ferrell has some pretty good acting chops and can play more dramatic roles, he was meant to be uncomfortable because that's how the employees felt...uncomfortable. You've been working with the same guy for years, you're used to a certain rhythm and all of a sudden, everything changes and you need to adapt. That's an uneasy feeling, and Deangelo was the pefect character to showcase that.
There weren't many characters that were fully built out. It was really just Michael, Pam, Jim, and Dwight (and maybe Angela). They didn't really develop too many other characters and leaned into the size of the ensemble cast. Erin was woefully underused and constantly changing, Andy was a whiplash of a character, Gabe was inconsistent, etc.
Typical problem of the US sitcoms - they cannot handle more than a handful characters. Why there's this constant need to bring in others and swell the cast then? Cannot understand.
Andy was amazing from season 5 to the start of season 8. Those parts where he is just sweet and innocent. Watching him play around with Dwight, and that scene where its revealed hes the new boss (that smile was so sweet). He's generally just a really good guy who's kinda clueless and his talent is under-appreciated. Sadly, in the final season he was just a dick until he said goodbye.
I think The Office just showed that will Ferrell is not as funny as people think.
When you got talented actors like will Ferrell, it all comes down to writing. Not his fault the office made his character boring
@@GG-yp6kd but in some aspects it may even be Will Ferrell
Yeah I struggle to find Will Ferrell funny in anything. Probably for me the closest he got was in The Other Guys but that also had a lot of unfunny patches...
@@Peter-gu9phthe other guys was great. AMERICAAAAA!!!!!
This 👆🏼👆🏼 I think he’s more annoying than anything
Will Ferrell's sense of humor is LOUD and that's not a good thing
Ok but same for Steve Carrell ... He does a lot of yelling in his comedy
@@rtothec1234What a disgusting comparison. Will Ferrell is a fucking legend.
@@pigs6486damn… disgusting is a little harsh
@@pigs6486u OK bud?
And being a goofball
3:35 oh man Ashton Kutcher and Will Ferrell!
I don't get it 😭
@@livewiiiiire is that Ashton Kutcher? No! It's Kevin Malone.
😂😂😂
@@livewiiiiireit’s a reference to an earlier episode
@@TheGoldenApex oh oops lol
Will Ferrel’s 4-episode arc gets better upon rewatch in my opinion, and I think Will Ferrell is great as DeAngelo. Only problem I have is the writing. The character changes personality wise each episode until he leaves, making the character almost seem bipolar, which may have been the intent. I don’t really know.
He’s supposed to be a mentally unstable homeless man who got the job by accident from Jo
Disagree that the Ferrell arc gets better over time. If anything, it speaks to why the show's quality plummeted after Carrell left: it's tonally inconsistent, makes constant, unwanted changes to character's personalities, and it just shows an overall lack of focus or direction. They just didn't know where to go or what to DO after Michael left, and if anything the Will Ferrell intro was the first sign of the more unfocused writing to come.
@@travistotle I liked season 8! Season 9 was a train wreck lol
That was kind of the point. Deangelo is unstable. He's basically the worst elements of Michael dialed up to 11. He's more snake than buffoon. Michael wanted to be liked, genuinely liked. Deangelo wanted to be respected, he didn't care about love. He said it himself how he doesn't want them to figure him out.
I haven't seen the show but Will Ferrell being the boss that breaks all the rules probably would have been fun. From parking in 3 parking spots to having his "10 year old nephew"(a one off character) doing his work on the computer.
Only Will Ferrell can pull off the invisible juggling routine
What about Jack Black or Charlie Chaplin?
"That is Will Ferrell, one of the funniest comic actors..." Is he, though?
I think so
Have you seen Step Brothers?
It was my understanding that Deangelo was just a guy off the street that Jo hired without interviewing because he helped her in some way. I also thought the implication was that Deangelo was supposed to be mentally unstable. Where I thought management went wrong was not hiring David Brent. He did send in a video application. At least Creed got to be manager for a day. The most I remember about Deangelo is when he had his breakdown and Dight looked at Jim and said "Uh oh."
Jo hired him because he helped out her dog
That's no big deal Holmes and Watson did that with it's eyes closed.
That would imply that HaW had ANY senses to begin with.
The only thing I liked about the Dangelo character was how he wasn't willing to eat up Jim and Pam's gimmick of using their baby as a means to bond and get in good with 'the boss'. I thought writing wise it would be a clever back and forth for Jim and Pam to be more genuine with newer faces in the office but it didn't happen as much as I thought it would.
I always felt that his character went back to the extra uncomfortableness you felt watching the first season before they softened Michael and loved his arc for that. It was funny in its own way. The employees hated him in a similar way that they hated Michael early on making him feel more like “this is going to be another arc where he eventually becomes family” but then they pull the rug out from under you and turn him into a vegetable instead.
Exactly. I think that while Deangelo staying full time wouldn't have worked, he was a good mix of silly and cringy with just enough malice to come off as a douche but not a monster. I think this kind of character is what The Office needed. You're not going to replace Steve Carrell as Michael Scott, so give us something completely different.
I loved Deangelo Gerimitrius Vickers. The fake juggling routine is a top 10 bit in the whole show. Do you believe in me Phyllis? Cause I believe in you.
Woooooow. Top 10? Maybe The Office just isn't the right show for you.
I liked the whole “trying to find a new manager” plot line. A lot of funny moments with that
Will was never supposed to be funny, he was meant to be just annoying enough to get over mike without longing for him too much. Him and dwight needed more one on one time though
Thank you! People who are annoyed by DeAngelo don’t understand the purpose of his character. The Deangelo episodes are a stop gap after Michaels departure. Deangelo was never supposed to be a fully flesh out serious character!
@LavaChip its like burning your hand to remove the pain of getting hit in The dick. By the time the burning stops all you have left is sore nuts. Im not great at analogies
Regardless it was still a mess. And he looked like he was trying too hard.
“its unfunny on purpose” is really not an acceptable defense of a comedy
@@saggysackstudios nuance is hard yes
Forget everything else. I just always thought it was downright mean of the writers to give him a permanent TBI in the end.
This is pretty much how I see Will Ferrell in general.
God bless, I’m not alone. I’m not trying to be mean or anything, but i really can’t stand Will Ferrell, let alone find him funny. He creeps me out no matter the movie he is in.
@@soniachristine9450 You are The Chosen One.
Will Fertile is funny. Dont get what you guys are saying
@@Drew-56949 lol who?
Will Ferrell is hilarious! Well, if you think that talking loud and staring blankly into a camera is comedy. Will is what you get when enough people are told someone is talented. The group actually begins to believe it. The litmus test is going back and watching Will's SNL skits or movies. None of it has aged well. That's what happens when the crowd isn't telling you how funny something is.
My Uncle watched this entire show too and he absolutely despises Deangelo in almost every way. I can admit myself that he’s not the most fleshed out character. It felt to me like the writers were attempting to try out an idea they had for a new type of manager to take over for Michael and they wanted to give audiences a small taste of it to see how they reacted. Clearly, they ended up going in a much better direction for Season 8 because love him or hate him, Robert California is in my opinion one of the show’s greatest and best used characters.
I hated Robert California but he was never boring
@@AYVYN I personally felt like you were supposed to hate him. I enjoyed him every second he was on screen though.
Hell yes! I loved Robert California. He should have been the manager, not Andy.
The problem is that Will Ferrell is that he's mostly just playing Will Ferrell.
I believe that Ferrell and Carell have great chemistry in the scenes where they are together, but shows that the writers were not ready for Carell's departure so them not finding a clear direction for Deangelo's character was somewhat of a sign that they would not able to find a clear direction and tone for the final seasons. But the mime juggling scene is still funny, Deangelo has some nice moments if you see them as clips without context.
They were ready. They made will so unlikable on purpose in order for the audience to be happy when Andy becomes the new boss. It was actually genius 😊
I just finished watching Season 7 for the first time, so this was great timing! I typically find Will Ferrell funny, but you hit it right on the head - the character was ill-defined, which then made him distracting or confusing.
I completely forgot he was in The Office
celebrity guests on the office in general don't work because so much of the charm of the show comes from the fact that the actors seem like they could pass as anonymous office workers. none of the actors except for Steve carrell had established comedy careers and even Steve wasn't tremendously well known at the time the office first aired and he looked like he could be a regional manager with his overly oiled hair, awkward constipated smile and badly fitting suits. therefore there was a sense of authenticity to show's mockumentary format because the cast seemed like they were plausibly the people they were playing and the audience had little or no preconceptions of who these actors were that could undermine the illusion of the characters being real people. but with will ferrell he was a comedy actor superstar when he appeared on the office and looks like he could not exist outside of movies and television. he doesn't read as a convincing office manager because he's too unusual looking to exist in this world of office workers and the audience knows him as will ferrell so there's an understandable expectation for him to act like will Ferrell's comedy persona. so the show tries to have it both ways and try to make him seem like a convincing white collar worker at some points and have him be will ferrell at other times. it just doesn't work either way because having will ferrell on the show at all goes against what made the office interesting to begin with.
The first episode with him was good I thought. A boss like Michael at first but then you see he's a bit meaner then a bit more then a bit more still making you realize the good side of Michael Scott. I think that could have really worked. But it's like they blinked. And they didn't have the character for long enough. A whole season and they could have found an equalibriam for the character but with so few episodes you really couldn't afford to change
It would´ve been a very interesting experiment but the circumstances were bad. Will and Steve work really well together, but those last episodes were important to give closure to Michael´s character, not to introduce his replacement, especially when they knew Will wasn´t going to stay. I´m guessing that was why they tried to give him different personalities because they tried to fit all the character's evolution in just four episodes.
Seasons 1-4 remain the peak of the Office. It’s all downhill after that
Idk why you say remain like it could change, it’s a static thing
Season 5 is really good at least before the Micheal Scott paper company arc
For me, the show died after Saber took over. Then, it peaked with Robert California, then it died again with Nellie
@@Isaacisaperson4677 Season 5 is good, but it's the start of the quality slide. 2,3, and 4 are all perfect and 5 is flawed.
I was really disappointed when it first aired but with expectations adjusted I enjoy him on repeat viewings.
I actually liked DeAngelo 😂
Same
Same
I always thought him reading the stage directions in the Dundee episode was an homage to Ron burgundy
it feels like a fever dream when i watch the will ferrel episodes.
This would be like if Peyton Manning was signed to NE Patriots for a couple games to back TB12 up. Its too much star power on one sound stage. Most of Will's roles are so funny but this one shanked in my opinion.
I have never seen Will Ferrel be funny in any of the movies he’s been in
If I see will ferrel on my TV I instantly change channel
It was weird to see his character do a 180 so many times in such a short run.
Oh shit this is brand new
I absolutely loved this cameo.
Ryan’s character change worked though. So much of Ryan’s character was situational
Lmfao hearing Mindy Kaling being a good thing
She wrote more episodes than any one and Co created the show
Either way him yelling at Dwight was one of the best moments in the show
Glad to know i wasnt the only one whom thought his role was cringe, and not funny. Albeit like 3 instances where Michael was still there, and he was just in the scene.
That was the point. The Office was meant to be cringe at first, but American audiences didn't like it so they toned down the cringe by making Michael more of a loveable goofball and giving him redeeming qualities while also adding more slapstick comedy. It worked very well, but at it's best, the show always toed the line between cringe and more traditional comedy.
Really goes to show that one role cant really portray how good of an actor someone is
Will Ferrell being funny = being loud...
But in this case, even those of us who find him funny acknowledge he or at least his character is terrible.
While i dont disagree entirely with your point about it not making much sense from a writing perspective (other than being a gimmicky way to add a big star on a short arc), there are a lot of moments from Farrell’s time on the Office that I actually like a lot! I will say, i think I really enjoyed the extended versions on the episodes with Will from the Office Superfan episodes. I think a lot of good will Farrell material got left on the cutting room floor because they needed more time from a narrative perspective for Michael’s departure. I think part of why people may not remember this arc as fondly as they might otherwise was the timing with it being Steve Carell’s departure and that Will Farrell was kind of competing with that for time, but also the stuff that was cut diminished just how funny Will Farrell’s run on the show was. I think it’s better int he Superfan cut.
A movie actor taking tv roles is very rare, really shows how humble he is
I don't recall ever seeing will ferrel and laughing.
Ive always liked it for what it is. The writing was all over the place but there were some good moments.
It is true that D'Angelo is a mess. But the true worst part of Post-Michael the office is Ed Helm's character. The way they made him get back being manager was like, bad. Nellie as manager was working totally fine but she didn't got even an intro gag. Even Creed got one! (I love Creed, but still). Then they totally wasted her character with stupid Andy stuff. Andy is the worst.
I remember when I heard will ferrel was gonna be in season 7 I was so exited! Now I’m sad😭😭😭
Deangelo’s problem was that he was a different character like every ten minutes. He started out as being somewhat relatable to Michael and took the job seriously. Then everything just became a joke to him
I always knew they were intentionally making him unlikeable. He was only supposed to be temporary and make the transition from Michael easier.
Will Ferrell is best in film in my opinion. It highlights his comedic genius and lets him be more grand. He will forever be one of my favorite comedic actors. Favorite actors ever actually because that’s what him and Carrell are, actors.
I really love your channel. I do think listening to The Office Ladies podcast about these episodes would give a lot of insight into the intentionality of this non-funny Ferrell.
Nah man I actually found his character funny! That juggling scene, or when Jim walks into his office after being cut from the group, or him being stumped by kevin (thinking kevin was trying to suck up but couldnt tell). I found him funny in every scene apart from 3: When Andy is injuring himself and eating soap to impress him When he is trying to make a sale (that just hurt REALLY fucking badly) and when he comes back with brain damage bcs as funny as it is, its also tragic that him wanting to impress the guys as much as possible actually resulted in him being "dead" (as darryl said) or at least "braindead" (as Andy said).
I honestly thought Will Pharrell was funny. His efforts to be “unpredictable,” the invisible juggling routine, and his attempt at dunking the basketball… classic 😂
It's criminal how much they fucked this huge opportunity up in one of the biggest sitcoms ever.
Oh wow. His character for 4 episodes was just like Andy Bernard for the whole series. Whatever the writers needed him to be.
Bill Hader on Brooklyn 99 was the same thing.
how did they manage to get ashton kutcher on? 3:35
Haha sounds like youre describing creed..however he was more cool doing it as he was allowed to walk away after his one liners
It usually doesn't end well when you have an ending to a story and you introduce a new element right in the third act. This was Michael's third act, they added a new character that was always with him and that made it immediately awkward. Good endings usually play with the elements that are already there.
I think the best option was to make David Brent, from the British version, the Regional Manager. It would had made the last two seasons more interesting.
Cinematic anti jokes. A true artist.
nO LIE Bro I watched both the godzilla movies last week and you made a godzilla vid and two days ago I started watching the office and you released this vid like BRO ARE YOU STALKING ME???!!!!
if nothing else, though, i would've liked them to keep on kathy bates; she was pretty funny
One thing I've learned is that forced things may have unpleasant results: like how scary clowns are feared because they FORCE you to laugh. The character of DeAngelo was so forced to be funny that it came out awkward and cringe which contrasts to the Character of Michael Scott.
my favorite will ferrell office moment was when he said he didn't care about cece.
Yeah I felt like the whole point of his character is that there will be no “replacement” for Michael. He’s one of a kind and no one can be like him. I think they did that perfectly
He was just there for Gag bufoonery. One for each episode.
I still say “Everyone I know who skis is dead. “ whenever the subject comes up
I think it speaks volumes that I couldn't even remember that Will Ferrell was in it.
thoroughly enjoyed Will's cameo, no complaints here. wished they kept Will on as a regular
I absolutely loved his character. I was disappointed to see him exit. He was not Michael Scott, but a million times better than Robert California.
I watched every episodes a few years ago and I didn't even remember him ^^
I actually love the 4 episode arc
I don’t think he was meant to be a likable character He feels thrown in, but honestly the way they threw him in always made me feel like he was written to be unstable
I always find him funny in the office episodes, where is this “not funny” theory coming from? I see similar comments on Robert California/James Spader, like I don’t understand how could people not find him funny
Within the space of 4 episodes, Deangelo went from super confident in the first episode to beinv unable to speak in public, as well as a poor salesman, sexist and having an eating disorder. Way too many ideas in such a short space of time.
This was on purpose, he was never meant to stay long-term
He's brilliant the first couple of episodes before that arc begins.
after Season 4 or so, the Flanderization of most of the supporting characters really went into overdrive, and the show became less "hey that's a slightly exaggerated version of a silly scenario I've faced at my own workplace" and more "insane slapstick humor that no real person would ever actually do." by Season 7 the show was becoming a jumbled mess and the bizarre Will Ferrell storyline (yelling at dogs to gain confidence?) was right at home.
I thought this span of episodes was perfect ….. I’ve seen the office like 8 times thru