Shortly before I graduated from college, I stopped watching the weekly Office episodes released on Netflix. It was Season 8, and the show was heavily focused on Erin Hannon and Andy Bernard.
At the time, I was rooting for them to get back together because Andy was actually a pretty nice person while he was manager. One of my favorite scenes was when he refuted Robert California’s list of winners and losers with the whole office within earshot.
So, why did I stop watching the show if Andy was so pleasant (compared to normal)? I think I felt like the Erin-Andy drama was overshadowing the comedy. I tend to prefer comedies over dramas, so a likeable character isn’t enough to make a less-comedic show worth watching.
Whatever the reason, I took a year or two break from the show right before the “Get the Girl” episode when Andy goes to Florida to win Erin back.
Coincidentally, I was recently looking at an infographic of episode ratings from IMDB, and this was the lowest rated episode. It appears that I wasn’t alone in my opinion that the show was losing its charm.
When I finally started watching The Office gain, I picked up right where I left off and eventually watched all the way through the finale. Overall, it was enjoyable, but the “Get the Girl” episode was in fact pretty rough.
Now that I’ve watched the series about ten times through (I say ten because I stopped counting), I’m here to provide some insight into exactly why this episode flopped.
6 Reasons That Going to Florida to Get Erin Isn’t an Entertaining Storyline
1. Job Stealing
As much as I’m a feminist, I do not think that Nellie Bertram’s job stealing should be applauded. Let’s not forget that the main reason she got away with it was her subtly seductive comments towards Robert California.
To be fair, our society doesn’t give women many socially acceptable ways to get ahead considering the fact that being assertive is seen as being a bitch. Regardless, I don’t think we all wanted to be reminded of that fact when we we’re trying to watch our favorite comedy.
2. Relationship Overlap
If Andy was really serious about Erin, he would have broken up with Jessica before going to Florida to tell Erin he loved her. This was not only disrespectful to Jessica and Erin, but it shows that he wasn’t willing to risk being single in the event that Erin rejected him and he had already broken up with Jessica.
3. Robert California
Robert is a horrible person in almost every episode, but in this episode, he may be at his worst. His completely hands-off management is far too Darwinian to be practical for the modern workplace, and his obsession with sex blinds him to the fact that his decision to allow Nellie to be manager isn’t remotely rational.
4. Erin’s Blindness
While Erin has seen many red flags throughout her on-again-off-again relationship with Andy, the clearest red flag is in this episode. Essentially, Andy is impulsive to the point where he is dysfunctional.
While Erin may see this as romantic when it benefits her, she fails to see how it might hurt her in the future, which is what inevitably happens when Andy goes on his three-month boat trip.
5. Andy’s Inevitable Demotion
I don’t know about you, but I enjoyed Andy as manager (the first time around). He was goofy and surprisingly pleasant. While he was no match for Michael Scott in terms of laughs, he was probably as close as you could get without being a knockoff.
I think the audience knew that the end of Andy as manager meant the writers were going to put Nellie, or another wacky personality, in the boss’ chair, which is always hit or miss.
6. The Employees’ Lack of Loyalty to their Manager
The Dunder Mifflin employees knew what was right (being loyal to Andy), but they betrayed him at the promise of a raise from Nellie. It’s quite sad to be reminded how easily money can corrupt people.
I Missed The Office Parade!
If I had kept watching The Office, I might have gone to The Office Farewell Parade in 2013. I’m so sad I missed it.
However, even if I had finished the series before the parade, I might not have gone because I wasn’t a fanatic yet. The best parts of the show are subtle so you don’t always catch them the first couple times through.
So, I guess there was no chance of me going to that parade either way. I can’t blame “Get the Girl,” no matter how lame it was.
Did You Like “Get the Girl”?
These are just my guesses as to why the episode received such low ratings, but I’m sure there were many other reasons. Are there any that I missed? Or do you think this episode deserves a higher rating? Share your thoughts below.
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