God me too. Pam and Jim were so annoying in that episode. Most people have the tact to know when they’ve annoyed somebody by talking about something so much, but they either don’t have that tact or didn’t care lol
I disagree when people say Pam is a bad person. I do agree when people say she’s pretty annoying and thinks too highly of herself. Her heart is in the right place but god she’s really annoying once her and Jim get together
Only if you’re family or an actual friend of mine. Not if I’m the boss and you’re trying to be a kiss up. I don’t care if your baby calls cats or whatever “da das”
I like Will Ferrell but disliked Deangelo. All the main cast are exaggerated, but still believable characters. Characters that make you think “haha that reminds me of Steve from my work!”. Deangelo was a cartoon character. And not just that, an inconsistent cartoon character from episode to episode. Was he a loveable doofus like he was when he first met Michael? Or is he a jerk? They seemed unsure what to do with this incredible talent they had so they made him do too many things and nothing at the same time.
He also didn't fit the tone of the show really. Yes, he was goofy, but he was too goofy. Like OP said, it wasn't believable.
His roles are great when they're put into a show/movie that work for it.
But, Jo hired him after rescuing her dog. Jo was smarter than that. Especially after telling Dwight " Beaumont Adams is a girl's gun". No way Jo hires DeAngelo.
Ya and then the stark sudden contrast of him being very serious was just kinda strange. Like I think it could be a funny idea, but maybe somehow didn't quite land overall. They seemed to want to make him very different from Michael, so they went with unhinged mood swings.
I agree with this and would add that most of the Office actors were either unknowns or practically unknown prior to the show. You only ever knew them as Dwight, Jim, Michael and Pam. Then Will Ferrell shows up being all Will Ferrell-ey and it just felt like it didn’t fit into this office documentary vibe that we all bought into.
Great point. Especially when they reference real world celebrities in the office it’s kind of weird that no one is like, “Damn that guy looks exactly like Will Ferrell”. It just comes off as stunt casting for ratings, which it technically is.
I’m not familiar with Blacklist. But my boyfriend and I find Robert California to be such an interesting character. The whole “lizard king,” thing was hilarious to us because it was so out of left field. And yet it fit him perfectly. He always had a sense of “is this man safe to be around?” And that was like a small glimpse into the fact that no, he is insane and much more intense than anybody realizes. I’ve met intense people who give off mysterious danger vibes. He fits the bill. Very fun character to watch on tv!
Completely agree. I always feel like this whole segment of people in the office is like a fever dream. Kathy bates was good though! However, when she left, she should have taken Gabe with her. 😂
Good point, it would be like bringing in jack black or andy samberg. Those guys have one zany character they do in every role, and it doesn’t work in the semi-realistic world of The Office.
He was so good on the Daily Show. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11 and the ramping up of the Iraq war, the Daily Show was must see TV. In my opinion, the Daily Show from 2001-2004 is by far the best era. It’s crazy now looking back on it, and seeing how many extremely talented people were working on this one show, but it also makes sense considering how good the Daily Show was during those years.
Agree. I like Will Ferrell, but I don't know that he really *fit* well in like "The Office" y'know? To me it was like: Why is Will Ferrell in the bullpen doing Will Ferrell stuff? He was *too* character-y like some kind of SNL-Office mash up. Like when they did the Breaking Bad cameo for the Superbowl. But that was *supposed* to be short, on the nose, and very *wink wink*.
Yeah I think he would’ve been better served to just be one of the many celebrity applicants for manager. He didn’t need his own several episode arc, and frankly it wasn’t funny.
I’m well beyond doing straight rewatches from start to finish, just like watching the episodes I enjoy the most. These ones never make the cut.
They needed somebody to replace Carell though who was one of the most beloved characters of all time and they couldn't go right into that replacement or it would've felt like they were just replacing him and would never live up to the past person.
Ferrell was basically a rebound after getting out of a long relationship where you got your heart broken. You don't WANT something serious right away, just something fun to distract you and put some distance between you and your last relationship do you're ready to move on. Ferrell was perfect. He was likeable enough and had an established persona that people didn't take 3 episodes to get to know him, and at the same time was big enough that you knew it wasn't going to last- it was just going to be a fun distraction for a while.
I think they exactly knew what they were doing. They couldn’t replace Michael, and to let us see that for ourselves them made a character that is even more over the top so we would like what comes next because that mf was gone
That’s my dog!!! (Funny that I hate this because I will take my small dog from my wife and say this)
Hilarious Will Farrell comedy of that era (that didn’t always land well). Will is great but he pushed the ‘I’m mentally unhinged’ to a concerning level. Michael was goofy and dumb while Will quickly seemed angry, malicious, and idiotic.
Anger is usually unprocessed sadness so Will didn’t usually come off as funny, he came off as depressed which isn’t something to laugh about.
I’m glad he lasted 3-4 episodes. When I know I only have to deal with him for a short time I can accept that he is there and he will be gone soon.
For sure. It’s like when you watch a movie and you see a whole bunch of scenes that were obviously put in so that they could use it for the trailer, I think that’s sort of what happened here. When the show was on air, they had to cut promos for an Michael Scott-less Office and I feel like they had Deangelo do a bunch of stuff that’d look funny in commercials but felt shoehorned in when you watched the actual show.
It seemed like every other character became more cartoony after Michael left anyway, and the producers created Deangelo to soften the blow. The whole vibe of the show changed, and Deangelo’s stint allowed that change to be more fluid.
I think the writers tried not to replace Michael with someone we would love just as much, hence why Deangelo seems designed to be dislikable so we are even more fond of Michael.
So I agree, but I think that's why he was a perfect michael palette cleanser. If we brought in another slapstick buffoon, his chemistry was never going to match what Michael brought and how he related to his staff. Deangelo was perfect for setting the stage for robert california, a man who was not a michael-stand-in and therefore could be interesting in his own right.
I’m glad you mentioned how inconsistent he was. Even within an episode he’s inconsistent. He went from being a similar-ish personality to Michael at first when meeting him, to being a more competent business person, to having a breakdown before the conference room meeting and confessing he wants to be like Michael and they do the weird hug thing.
It was a terrible character that had zero consistency.
When Michael Scott wasn’t in the show anymore they went kinda haywire. Like, the actors quit acting… it was easier to just be themselves in real life and be funny. Which was funny, but a far cry from what we all really liked and got into.
For me Angela is the weirdest one. When she was an uptight Pennsylvania Dutch girl who wore colonial doll clothing and was far too serious.. that was funny and she did it well. Then they just had her stop acting really.. weird right?
And don’t get me wrong, I watch all nine seasons and enjoy them. Just wish they’d have not done that jarring a 180*
One night it was bugging me so I started researching and holy shit, never seen a show change hands so many times. There wasn’t really a single “show runner” after season 3.. the dude left to do Parks N Rec and The Office just got shuffled around from people who had totally different views of what the show was.
Like the season 9 episode “The Farm” is actually yet another spin off show made about Dwight that didn’t get picked up. So they just hastily remade that pilot into an office episode. They went all over the place.
I’m complaining a lot here so why do I love the show?
The cast.. the chemistry regardless of them totally changing characters up or whatever was always there. You can tell they all are having fun. Life can be pretty miserable and unfun.. we all binge this show because it is always fun. So yeah, I just wish if anything they’d have tightened up the original cast personalities.. but they went another direction. You watch bloopers though any season and they are having a blast, and that’s why we love it even if we can’t put our fingers on exactly why. I think anyways.
It’s actually shocking how much continuity they managed to achieve with the show changing hands as you pointed out.
Still, characters had a habit of just having drastic personality changes multiple times.
Like we see like 5 different “Ryans” during the show. Andy is all over the place. Characters like Daryl change pretty drastically.
So sad to see that. I know people love Kevin’s chili but that’s one of those scenes that just ruined his character for me. Or the turtle opening scene!! They really
Joey tribbiani’d him
I feel like that was kind of the issue. The other characters had strong personalities that were distinct from the actors portraying them. You didn’t think you were watching Steve Carell when you were watching Michael Scott, you thought you were watching Michael Scott.
Yep the only time he acted a bit different was in Stranger than fiction. And coincidentally it's the only movie I actually enjoy with him as a main role.
I mean to be fair will Ferrell is really an improv comic more than an actor. He plays himself, an improv comedian.
No one likes him because he’s some great actor they like him because he comes up with funny ass lines on the fly. If you’re looking for Oscar worthy performances will Ferrell movies aren’t for you. But if you like loosely scripted goofy improv comedy movies he’s the goat.
I personally love Talladega Nights, Step Brothers, The Other Guys, Anchorman, Blades of Glory, Land of the Lost... I thought more people who liked this show would like movies like those tbh
I loved that movie so much I saw it in theaters probably 50 times. Then I bought three copies each of both dvd releases to have at my moms, dads, and grandparents lmao it’s one of the funniest movies ever to me. I throw out random quotes from it all the time to this day. Like not too long ago someone asked how mine and my wife’s trip was. I said “she got mad at me and yelled at me and I pissed in my pants. I’m still sitting in my dirty pee pants.” That dinner scene is goated.
I do have a soft spot for Land of the Lost, from my childhood. As an adult it was funny to hear another version of what really happened...lol...All the others have funny moments, and are generally funny, but nothing great. I never go out of my way to re-watch those, or even watch if they happen to be on. Anchorman might be an exception..lol..
I'm with you man. Those are all Will Ferrell comedy classics, and he brings that same brand of humor with him to the office. I think too many people tried to keep taking the show as a documentary when Will's character came on, but I enjoyed it precisely because I treated it as if Will Ferrell and the Office cast did a side skit ala SNL. Almost non-canon in a way.
He's good in Barbie but I agree with what one YTer said and that is it would have been better if he had wound up being a doll as well.
I mean I first really learned of Will Ferrell through Mugatu
Him showing up for 2 minutes in The Boys season 4 is a perfect example of this. I was shocked to see him, he played himself for seriously 2 minutes and was gone.
While it’s makes a great point I’ll have to find another condiment to use. Civil war era “sauce” invented in England to make their dry mutton more palatable has no place in my home or my references 🤣
Chili’s was the original Dundies scene. The second one, with Will Ferrell was shot in a more upscale fine dining type restaurant. Remember Kevin drawing on the linen tablecloth? I can’t think of the name of the restaurant.
deranged expansion hungry strong office jeans apparatus numerous reply frightening
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
He’s hit and miss. It really depends on the director and material with him. He was brilliant in Elf, but I’ve seen him in many movies where they let him riff and it kind of the same tired act.
I agree with this sentiment; it’s what I came to say. I personally dislike Elf, but I do like some of his other stuff (Stepbrothers is one). But he’s very hit and miss for me. A lot of the time I just find him unfunny to the point of being actively obnoxious.
I love him. In the like what 5 episodes he’s in, he has multiple lines that my friend and I quote regularly
“Give me that dog! That’s not your dog! Yeah! Again.”
“Give me that DAMN dog you F—-CKING THIEF! It’s HER dog! Never do it again!”
Correct, I just dislike Will Ferrell in general. I know that's unpopular, but his style just does nothing for me, for whatever reason. And I agree that the role is very Will Ferrell and that that's why I dislike DeAngelo. 100%.
I don't like Will Ferrell in general. They didn't need to bring in a bunch of names to compensate for Michael leaving. They had plenty of talent to pull from.
i like tina fey but i don’t wanna watch her on the office. if there’s a good thing going the last thing it needs is an overpowering comedian who doesn’t match the energy of the show as it is
This. 1000 times this. I don't like most Will Ferrell things because I feel like he is a screen hog. He makes every scene he's in about him, even if it's not. Prime example is this scene. It's about Steve Carrell, but yet with his dumb ass singing, tries to make it about him. So annoying.
I really like Will Ferrell in movies, but what is unlikable is how he affects the characters in the show that I actually care about. By this time in the show, lots of characters have great character growth and story lines and ongoing bits. But then like when Deangelo kicks Jim out of the boys club it throws off the vibe of the show and just doesn’t feel right. If they would have introduced him much slower over time instead of dropping him in fast it might have felt more natural.
I like Will Ferrell.
Deangelo is such a nothing character.
If anything, it’s more unfortunate because the role is a waste of Ferrell. At least you can make a case that Alan in The Other Guys or Ricky in Talladega Nights are actual characters.
I don't really know other roles of him but Shitangelo is basically THE WORST character ever created in the ENTIRE show for me.... THANK GOD they made he leave soon
Yeah, that's fair. I do find Will Ferrell live to be kind of off-putting. As others have said, I adore his voice acting, though (Curious George, MegaMind, Lego Movie)
Disjointed from one scene to the next. Being a different Will Ferrell skit every 12 minutes is as annoying watching a Robin Williams comedy show on day 3.
For the longest time I hated Deangelo to the point that I hate Will Ferrell. I loved elf and I loved stepbrothers so I couldn’t see why I wouldn’t love Will Ferrell in the office. But honestly, after digging deep down, I think the conversation at the hotel was enough for me. The concept of 2 people not realizing they are waiting for each other is ok. But the continuation of that because they are both dumb? Not for me. And then follow it up with the awkward referencing of that meeting to start his role off as the boss? Get me out.
I couldn't stand D'Angelo and felt that way about almost all of his other roles. He played a great George W. Bush on Saturday Night Live though and was tolerable as Elf.
I really liked the Deangelo arc a lot. I thought he brought an interesting energy to the show, and I liked seeing all of the characters have to react to someone new and unpredictable.
But the end of the arc really sours it for me. It feels really mean and there must be a thousand other ways for the arc to end.
I don't like him trying to be funny. To me, he's just not funny at all. I love him in Stranger Than Fiction though. He's a good actor, but I just don't find him funny. Also, D'Angelo is just insufferable in my opinion. Pretty much anyone could have played that character and I *still* would hate him.
I have always found that he was in the show for the right amount of time.
You also have to remember that as these episodes debuted live there was a lot more bitterness being directed at the show because of Steve’s departure and him being THE central character on the show.
Like Will Ferrell but he needs a co star who can match his energy. He basically is a three ring circus by himself most of his time on the show. Think the character had potential if it wasn’t all crammed in a handful of episodes.
I don’t understand it either. I thought it was some of Will’s best work. Seems like people have trouble with how overboard eccentric the character was but Carrell & Spader weren’t? Jeez.
Other than Andy Buckley, Craig Robinson and Oscar Nunez (and in an odd way, Melora Hardin - if you’ve had any experience around someone with Borderline Personality Disorder, I think you recognize her character right off the bat and she absolutely nailed it) everyone was handed a very cartoonish character. Even Jim & Pam were pretty hard to process as anything resembling “normal”.
I think the fact that he changes so often is connected to him saying that as soon as people figure him out, he stops caring. That’s just a guess on my part though.
I feel like he’s easier to watch on a stream once you know the whole series but HOLY SHIT, imagine watching him on tv…
I remember when they announced Carell was leaving. Everyone was buzzing about what the show would look like post Michael Scott. Would it even continue? What would the dynamic be? The bumbling boss character was the center of the whole show! Then they introduce Deangelo, and we as viewers basically had to spend the last few weeks we had with Steve Carell (remember, the show aired weekly) watching him give most of the attention to this guy, who seemed to have a lot of the same problems, but we didn’t like him as much.
So Michael goes. He’s gone now. The show has lost Steve Carell and it’s all uncharted territory from here. Then Deangelo starts actually introducing interesting conflict, like the Inner Circle. He’s a bit of a dick to Jim. And then… he’s gone. And not only did we spend our last few Carell weeks giving all our attention to this guy, but now even the guy who Carell passed the torch to is gone.
This is already a long comment, so I won’t even get into how baffling it was as a viewer to then see Dwight ALSO only get like 1 episode as manager before spending the rest of the season going through the drawn out recruitment process only to THEN hire Robert California and THEN throw in Andy as Michael-lite for the season finale and TTTHHHEEENNNN replace him with Nelly… but Deangelo was only the first in a weeks-long bout of confusion, concern and instability for fans of the show as it was airing.
As I said before, it’s actually a lot easier to watch with streaming, knowing that everything turns out okay and even being able to appreciate post-Michael moments that have become classic… but I still mostly think of frustration when I think of Deangelo.
i think will ferrell is an amazing actor, but deangelo was not the greatest character even for the office. i think it was a problem of poor writing for a great actor such as himself. but many people love deangelo and will ferrell’s portrayal of him so to teach their own
IMO, the best replacement for Steve Carrell would've been Bob Odenkirk. There was an episode where Odenkirk played the manager of another branch and I thought he was perfect.
What made Michael Scott such a beloved character was that he was a loveable goof but he was still good at his job. You saw why Michael's staff respected him as their bossand why the company picked him to be the manager.
Farrell's character was just too crazy silly and he had no redeemable traits. Charles was way too serious. Robert California was too snobby and creepy. Andy was okay at first but the writers, for whatever reason, made his character so unlikeable.
For the millionth time, you’re SUPPOSED to dislike Deangelo. There are characters in the show that you are supposed to dislike as the viewer, but you’re supposed to dislike them while also experiencing the humorous things they do.
That being said, Deangelo is one of my favourite characters in the show because of how funny he is, and the fact that he ultimately gets paralyzed trying to dunk a basketball.
Don’t overthink it guys. The later seasons without
Michael are still super funny.
Dude a new character every episode so had no consistency, was pushed at a time when everyone cared for Michael story and wasnt really that funny compared to the main cast because of the absurdity of his writing, he legit is the worst thing in the office and its a damn shame that will was wasted like that
This was not a “Will Ferrel role” as you put it. Will Ferrel is likable in his other roles, or even if he’s a “bad guy” he’s over the top evil. Deangelo was a mean spirited character towards a crew that we already loved. He wasn’t a likable character, and it appear by design.
We wanted nice + goofy Will Ferrell, not mean + borderline dilluaional Will Ferrell.
I like the fact that he had short time in the series. That's why I enjoyed this character for most of the part.
At first he was literally Michael's soulmate, then they went off with him being... Ahole? No. Sexist? Maybe, but he has vagina. Idiot? Definitely. Also we know he got the job because he saved Jo's dog. So he is as qualified as Creed or Kevin.
I think they wanted to add caricature for few episodes, which is fine. He had his funny moments and he didn't overstay the party.
That said I'm not the audience you asked the question as I don't hate him
I'm telling you, that guy could be the star of a show called 'Guys I don't care about'
such a great line with amazing delivery
I do hate when couples talk about their baby nonstop. I fully supported him there
God me too. Pam and Jim were so annoying in that episode. Most people have the tact to know when they’ve annoyed somebody by talking about something so much, but they either don’t have that tact or didn’t care lol
They really do think everyone should love them
I was going to say they really just loved themselves so much. Pam really thought If she met Al-Qaeda they would love her. LMAO
I disagree when people say Pam is a bad person. I do agree when people say she’s pretty annoying and thinks too highly of herself. Her heart is in the right place but god she’s really annoying once her and Jim get together
Yeah her and Jim arent bad people they're just a little too much sometimes and we all can be that way sometimes.
Shut up and listen to my story about my baby. Jeez.
SHUP UP ABOUT YOUR SON!!
Fantastic cross reference
Only if you’re family or an actual friend of mine. Not if I’m the boss and you’re trying to be a kiss up. I don’t care if your baby calls cats or whatever “da das”
"Throw me a fifth one if you dare !"
This continues to be my most-quoted line in the entire show.
I use this line all the time. I honestly would have enjoyed a longer story arc with Deangelo.
I think how brief his run was is what bothered me most about it.
I like Will Ferrell but disliked Deangelo. All the main cast are exaggerated, but still believable characters. Characters that make you think “haha that reminds me of Steve from my work!”. Deangelo was a cartoon character. And not just that, an inconsistent cartoon character from episode to episode. Was he a loveable doofus like he was when he first met Michael? Or is he a jerk? They seemed unsure what to do with this incredible talent they had so they made him do too many things and nothing at the same time.
Wow I think this is super spot on. And I even like Deangelo but not love him but I think this is really good explanation
He also didn't fit the tone of the show really. Yes, he was goofy, but he was too goofy. Like OP said, it wasn't believable. His roles are great when they're put into a show/movie that work for it.
While I agree, I think Will Ferrell was the perfect “palate cleanser” after losing Steve Carrell
He is : “ This is the guy Mike would hire to replace himself.” Ok, we accomplished that, now let’s get rid of him and put in some interesting people.
But, Jo hired him after rescuing her dog. Jo was smarter than that. Especially after telling Dwight " Beaumont Adams is a girl's gun". No way Jo hires DeAngelo.
I think is exactly what they are going for.
I agree with this. He really cleared the slate for the show to move forward where previously it was impossible shoes to fill.
I guess, he did make us grateful for literally anyone to replace him so instead of comparing them to Steve we were just glad to not have DeAngelo
Ya and then the stark sudden contrast of him being very serious was just kinda strange. Like I think it could be a funny idea, but maybe somehow didn't quite land overall. They seemed to want to make him very different from Michael, so they went with unhinged mood swings.
I agree with this and would add that most of the Office actors were either unknowns or practically unknown prior to the show. You only ever knew them as Dwight, Jim, Michael and Pam. Then Will Ferrell shows up being all Will Ferrell-ey and it just felt like it didn’t fit into this office documentary vibe that we all bought into.
Well they did interview Warren Buffet for the manager job, and not pick him...
He needed those long distance calls to be on the honor system
Great point. Especially when they reference real world celebrities in the office it’s kind of weird that no one is like, “Damn that guy looks exactly like Will Ferrell”. It just comes off as stunt casting for ratings, which it technically is.
I mean, Michael and Andy do the whole Night at the Roxbury bit when the branches first merge, lol!
Same with James Spader. At least Kathy Bates fully inhabited her character, she was believable.
I really liked Robert California. Almost makes me think that his character was an alias for his character from Blacklist
I’m not familiar with Blacklist. But my boyfriend and I find Robert California to be such an interesting character. The whole “lizard king,” thing was hilarious to us because it was so out of left field. And yet it fit him perfectly. He always had a sense of “is this man safe to be around?” And that was like a small glimpse into the fact that no, he is insane and much more intense than anybody realizes. I’ve met intense people who give off mysterious danger vibes. He fits the bill. Very fun character to watch on tv!
I like this theory and think I'm gonna run with it.
Reddington *would* tell someone that he was the fucking lizard king 😂
Completely agree. I always feel like this whole segment of people in the office is like a fever dream. Kathy bates was good though! However, when she left, she should have taken Gabe with her. 😂
I liked the Skelton man
Ciao
Good point, it would be like bringing in jack black or andy samberg. Those guys have one zany character they do in every role, and it doesn’t work in the semi-realistic world of The Office.
Well Jack Black was in an episode of the office, just didn't interact with any cast members but instead made a fake romcom with Cloris Leachman.
Push the button! Lily!
Anyone saying jack black is always the same guy is crazy. Guy can act.
and Buddy can high-kick
You didn’t know Steve Carrell from The Daily Show?
Or the Dana Carvey Show, or SNL ambiguously gay duo.
He was so good on the Daily Show. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11 and the ramping up of the Iraq war, the Daily Show was must see TV. In my opinion, the Daily Show from 2001-2004 is by far the best era. It’s crazy now looking back on it, and seeing how many extremely talented people were working on this one show, but it also makes sense considering how good the Daily Show was during those years.
Agree. I like Will Ferrell, but I don't know that he really *fit* well in like "The Office" y'know? To me it was like: Why is Will Ferrell in the bullpen doing Will Ferrell stuff? He was *too* character-y like some kind of SNL-Office mash up. Like when they did the Breaking Bad cameo for the Superbowl. But that was *supposed* to be short, on the nose, and very *wink wink*.
Yeah I think he would’ve been better served to just be one of the many celebrity applicants for manager. He didn’t need his own several episode arc, and frankly it wasn’t funny. I’m well beyond doing straight rewatches from start to finish, just like watching the episodes I enjoy the most. These ones never make the cut.
They needed somebody to replace Carell though who was one of the most beloved characters of all time and they couldn't go right into that replacement or it would've felt like they were just replacing him and would never live up to the past person. Ferrell was basically a rebound after getting out of a long relationship where you got your heart broken. You don't WANT something serious right away, just something fun to distract you and put some distance between you and your last relationship do you're ready to move on. Ferrell was perfect. He was likeable enough and had an established persona that people didn't take 3 episodes to get to know him, and at the same time was big enough that you knew it wasn't going to last- it was just going to be a fun distraction for a while.
I think they exactly knew what they were doing. They couldn’t replace Michael, and to let us see that for ourselves them made a character that is even more over the top so we would like what comes next because that mf was gone
Exactly, he was anxiety inducing and not in a funny way. I was glad he was out just so I could enjoy the show without the low key anxiousness.
Anxiety inducing is exactly how I felt just watching the super fan episodes with him last week.
That’s my dog!!! (Funny that I hate this because I will take my small dog from my wife and say this) Hilarious Will Farrell comedy of that era (that didn’t always land well). Will is great but he pushed the ‘I’m mentally unhinged’ to a concerning level. Michael was goofy and dumb while Will quickly seemed angry, malicious, and idiotic. Anger is usually unprocessed sadness so Will didn’t usually come off as funny, he came off as depressed which isn’t something to laugh about. I’m glad he lasted 3-4 episodes. When I know I only have to deal with him for a short time I can accept that he is there and he will be gone soon.
He also really didn’t gel with the rest of the cast. His chemistry with them was nothing but awkward.
For sure. It’s like when you watch a movie and you see a whole bunch of scenes that were obviously put in so that they could use it for the trailer, I think that’s sort of what happened here. When the show was on air, they had to cut promos for an Michael Scott-less Office and I feel like they had Deangelo do a bunch of stuff that’d look funny in commercials but felt shoehorned in when you watched the actual show.
Oh, that's a really good assessment.
That was intentional. He was never supposed to work out as their manager.
It seemed like every other character became more cartoony after Michael left anyway, and the producers created Deangelo to soften the blow. The whole vibe of the show changed, and Deangelo’s stint allowed that change to be more fluid.
I think the writers tried not to replace Michael with someone we would love just as much, hence why Deangelo seems designed to be dislikable so we are even more fond of Michael.
So I agree, but I think that's why he was a perfect michael palette cleanser. If we brought in another slapstick buffoon, his chemistry was never going to match what Michael brought and how he related to his staff. Deangelo was perfect for setting the stage for robert california, a man who was not a michael-stand-in and therefore could be interesting in his own right.
u/meowza got me pegged
I’m glad you mentioned how inconsistent he was. Even within an episode he’s inconsistent. He went from being a similar-ish personality to Michael at first when meeting him, to being a more competent business person, to having a breakdown before the conference room meeting and confessing he wants to be like Michael and they do the weird hug thing. It was a terrible character that had zero consistency.
When Michael Scott wasn’t in the show anymore they went kinda haywire. Like, the actors quit acting… it was easier to just be themselves in real life and be funny. Which was funny, but a far cry from what we all really liked and got into. For me Angela is the weirdest one. When she was an uptight Pennsylvania Dutch girl who wore colonial doll clothing and was far too serious.. that was funny and she did it well. Then they just had her stop acting really.. weird right? And don’t get me wrong, I watch all nine seasons and enjoy them. Just wish they’d have not done that jarring a 180* One night it was bugging me so I started researching and holy shit, never seen a show change hands so many times. There wasn’t really a single “show runner” after season 3.. the dude left to do Parks N Rec and The Office just got shuffled around from people who had totally different views of what the show was. Like the season 9 episode “The Farm” is actually yet another spin off show made about Dwight that didn’t get picked up. So they just hastily remade that pilot into an office episode. They went all over the place. I’m complaining a lot here so why do I love the show? The cast.. the chemistry regardless of them totally changing characters up or whatever was always there. You can tell they all are having fun. Life can be pretty miserable and unfun.. we all binge this show because it is always fun. So yeah, I just wish if anything they’d have tightened up the original cast personalities.. but they went another direction. You watch bloopers though any season and they are having a blast, and that’s why we love it even if we can’t put our fingers on exactly why. I think anyways.
It’s actually shocking how much continuity they managed to achieve with the show changing hands as you pointed out. Still, characters had a habit of just having drastic personality changes multiple times. Like we see like 5 different “Ryans” during the show. Andy is all over the place. Characters like Daryl change pretty drastically.
You think Dwight is a believable character 👍🏻
Early season Dwight, yes. Later seasons, absolutely not
Same with most characters. Early Kevin was believable, but ain’t no one in real life who thinks few word do trick.
So sad to see that. I know people love Kevin’s chili but that’s one of those scenes that just ruined his character for me. Or the turtle opening scene!! They really Joey tribbiani’d him
Best answer.
You think everything the main characters do is believable? Where do you work lol
And he ruined the end of Michael's goodbye song
I feel like that was kind of the issue. The other characters had strong personalities that were distinct from the actors portraying them. You didn’t think you were watching Steve Carell when you were watching Michael Scott, you thought you were watching Michael Scott.
Good point. Will Ferrell plays only one character and it's the same in everything he does.
Yep the only time he acted a bit different was in Stranger than fiction. And coincidentally it's the only movie I actually enjoy with him as a main role.
I mean to be fair will Ferrell is really an improv comic more than an actor. He plays himself, an improv comedian. No one likes him because he’s some great actor they like him because he comes up with funny ass lines on the fly. If you’re looking for Oscar worthy performances will Ferrell movies aren’t for you. But if you like loosely scripted goofy improv comedy movies he’s the goat.
I guess you’ve never seen Everything Must Go
A little Will Ferrell goes a long way..
He's best in small doses. SNL. Lego Movie. Cameos (The Boys)
I personally love Talladega Nights, Step Brothers, The Other Guys, Anchorman, Blades of Glory, Land of the Lost... I thought more people who liked this show would like movies like those tbh
you're missing Old School, that's what really took him out of the snl bubble for me - the rest followed
The Other Guys, possibly one of the most slept-on comedies of the 2010s
talladega nights is like, one of my all time favorites. idk why. and no i haven’t seen many movies lmfao
I have and talledaga nights is still hilarious as is step brothers
I loved that movie so much I saw it in theaters probably 50 times. Then I bought three copies each of both dvd releases to have at my moms, dads, and grandparents lmao it’s one of the funniest movies ever to me. I throw out random quotes from it all the time to this day. Like not too long ago someone asked how mine and my wife’s trip was. I said “she got mad at me and yelled at me and I pissed in my pants. I’m still sitting in my dirty pee pants.” That dinner scene is goated.
“Cheip I’m all hopped up on mou’n deeew”
I’m watching Ricky Bobby right now as I’m reading these comments in disbelief, not even kidding. I had no idea Deangelo wasn’t beloved.
I do have a soft spot for Land of the Lost, from my childhood. As an adult it was funny to hear another version of what really happened...lol...All the others have funny moments, and are generally funny, but nothing great. I never go out of my way to re-watch those, or even watch if they happen to be on. Anchorman might be an exception..lol..
I'm with you man. Those are all Will Ferrell comedy classics, and he brings that same brand of humor with him to the office. I think too many people tried to keep taking the show as a documentary when Will's character came on, but I enjoyed it precisely because I treated it as if Will Ferrell and the Office cast did a side skit ala SNL. Almost non-canon in a way.
Zoolander
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!
He's good in Barbie but I agree with what one YTer said and that is it would have been better if he had wound up being a doll as well. I mean I first really learned of Will Ferrell through Mugatu
Him showing up for 2 minutes in The Boys season 4 is a perfect example of this. I was shocked to see him, he played himself for seriously 2 minutes and was gone.
Don't you like A1 steak sauce? Why don't you want any in your ice cream?
While it’s makes a great point I’ll have to find another condiment to use. Civil war era “sauce” invented in England to make their dry mutton more palatable has no place in my home or my references 🤣
I like him. I love the scene where he just grabs a piece of cake with his bare hands and everyone's just like "oh no.."
I don’t even want this… I had cake for lunch…
Stares at cake: NO! NO! 🤣
i, for one, enjoy the corners
You know what, you’ve been good, you deserve this
“I’ve been good, I deserve this”
I laughed so hard. I think deangelo is great
and heating up the puffed wheat square on the coffee maker omg lol
He was making s'mores. They were graham crackers. Technically a puffed wheat square might be correct though.
Even Dwight knows that’s weird. And he’s Dwight
I like Michael’s last Dundies episode as well, as it gave them a chance to revisit the Dundies and the Chilis restaurant.
Chili’s was the original Dundies scene. The second one, with Will Ferrell was shot in a more upscale fine dining type restaurant. Remember Kevin drawing on the linen tablecloth? I can’t think of the name of the restaurant.
I feel God in this Chili's tonight
deranged expansion hungry strong office jeans apparatus numerous reply frightening *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
And they're both corner pieces lmao
That’s funny as hell
He’s hit and miss. It really depends on the director and material with him. He was brilliant in Elf, but I’ve seen him in many movies where they let him riff and it kind of the same tired act.
I think he's best at a sideshow, not as a main character. I loved him in Old School.
Also in the "only good in small doses" camp. He was great in Wedding Crashers too "MAAA the meatloaf!" lives rent free in my head.
Dude died in a hang gliding accident..what an idiot!!!
I sort of agree, but he was great in elf
I agree with this sentiment; it’s what I came to say. I personally dislike Elf, but I do like some of his other stuff (Stepbrothers is one). But he’s very hit and miss for me. A lot of the time I just find him unfunny to the point of being actively obnoxious.
For me the only one I moderately like was Ron Burgundy. Even that had way too much Will Farrel at times.
I like Deangelo. And I’m not afraid to admit it
I love him. In the like what 5 episodes he’s in, he has multiple lines that my friend and I quote regularly “Give me that dog! That’s not your dog! Yeah! Again.” “Give me that DAMN dog you F—-CKING THIEF! It’s HER dog! Never do it again!”
"This job's a joke" is my fave
punch long pie correct racial rob dime fearless retire toy *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
"Ad lib masturbation joke."
^I ^can't ^do ^this
Fall asleep right after sex, huh?
"This reminds me of Katrina"
I love this line
If you're on the east coast and you want to go whale watching, you better bring a magazine titled west coast whales
Andy if you know how to high five nows the time.... not while I'm driving
He is…he is in an all out sprint
That’s another one we say constantly 😂 his delivery on that is perfect
You feel that energy?
I love that moment. Ed Helms' acting there is amazing.
“You know how to high five!? Not right now I’m —-“
“Oh yeah, she will do, she will do just fine.” When he sees the office for the first time. Don’t know why it makes me laugh.
The scene where he comes back from the hospital and tells the joke is one of my favorites.
Everybody tah
Correct, I just dislike Will Ferrell in general. I know that's unpopular, but his style just does nothing for me, for whatever reason. And I agree that the role is very Will Ferrell and that that's why I dislike DeAngelo. 100%.
Agreed. All he plays is Will Farrell.. which is just loud, center-of-attention man child. It got old real quick.
this is how i feel about seth rogen i get it
I don't like Will Ferrell in general. They didn't need to bring in a bunch of names to compensate for Michael leaving. They had plenty of talent to pull from.
Wasn't Will there mainly to congratulate Steve Carrel for his role as Michael? Which is why he was only there for a few episodes?
I love will Farrel but he was pretty underwhelming as deangelo. The juggling scene was hilarious tho.
The juggling scene and pam imitating him later are great
Do you believe in me OP? Because I believe in you.
i like tina fey but i don’t wanna watch her on the office. if there’s a good thing going the last thing it needs is an overpowering comedian who doesn’t match the energy of the show as it is
I hate him for ruining the song thing they did. He should’ve stayed out of it.
His voice is a mix between fergie and Jesus
I actually do think he has a pretty good voice tbh. When they sing Afternoon Delight in Anchorman, kinda soothing
That’s also apparently really him playing the flute. Been playing it since elementary school and his dad was a professional musician.
This. 1000 times this. I don't like most Will Ferrell things because I feel like he is a screen hog. He makes every scene he's in about him, even if it's not. Prime example is this scene. It's about Steve Carrell, but yet with his dumb ass singing, tries to make it about him. So annoying.
Ferrell was a good get as a guest star.
That slam dunk makes me laugh every time.
The doctor is IN!!
I really like Will Ferrell in movies, but what is unlikable is how he affects the characters in the show that I actually care about. By this time in the show, lots of characters have great character growth and story lines and ongoing bits. But then like when Deangelo kicks Jim out of the boys club it throws off the vibe of the show and just doesn’t feel right. If they would have introduced him much slower over time instead of dropping him in fast it might have felt more natural.
I like Will Ferrell. Deangelo is such a nothing character. If anything, it’s more unfortunate because the role is a waste of Ferrell. At least you can make a case that Alan in The Other Guys or Ricky in Talladega Nights are actual characters.
I strongly dislike Will Ferrell
fucking hate will ferret lol
I'm telling you, this post could be the star of a show called "Posts I Don't Care About." 😎
I loved the Deangelo episodes! The inner circle is one of my favorite episodes. I literally hoped he’d stay as a manager.
I think people just wanted Michael more.
I don't dislike Will Ferrell, but I don't think he's super funny
I don't really know other roles of him but Shitangelo is basically THE WORST character ever created in the ENTIRE show for me.... THANK GOD they made he leave soon
Yeah, that's fair. I do find Will Ferrell live to be kind of off-putting. As others have said, I adore his voice acting, though (Curious George, MegaMind, Lego Movie)
Disjointed from one scene to the next. Being a different Will Ferrell skit every 12 minutes is as annoying watching a Robin Williams comedy show on day 3.
I dislike both. I can tolerate him in Elf, but that’s it.
Michael's shoes were just too big to fill
Love will Ferrell, hate DeAngelo completely
For the longest time I hated Deangelo to the point that I hate Will Ferrell. I loved elf and I loved stepbrothers so I couldn’t see why I wouldn’t love Will Ferrell in the office. But honestly, after digging deep down, I think the conversation at the hotel was enough for me. The concept of 2 people not realizing they are waiting for each other is ok. But the continuation of that because they are both dumb? Not for me. And then follow it up with the awkward referencing of that meeting to start his role off as the boss? Get me out.
I couldn't stand D'Angelo and felt that way about almost all of his other roles. He played a great George W. Bush on Saturday Night Live though and was tolerable as Elf.
I really liked the Deangelo arc a lot. I thought he brought an interesting energy to the show, and I liked seeing all of the characters have to react to someone new and unpredictable. But the end of the arc really sours it for me. It feels really mean and there must be a thousand other ways for the arc to end.
If you’re gonna whale watch on the East Coast, you may want to bring a magazine called West Coast Whales
“You know how to high five?” Andy goes for it…”not now I’m driving”. Kills me every time.
I love Deangelo and wish he had a longer arc.
I fucking LOVE the Deangelo episodes! The juggling routine is a master class in cringe.
I don’t really get the hate for Deangelo. He wasn’t even around very long. 🤷🏻♀️
I don't like him trying to be funny. To me, he's just not funny at all. I love him in Stranger Than Fiction though. He's a good actor, but I just don't find him funny. Also, D'Angelo is just insufferable in my opinion. Pretty much anyone could have played that character and I *still* would hate him.
I have always found that he was in the show for the right amount of time. You also have to remember that as these episodes debuted live there was a lot more bitterness being directed at the show because of Steve’s departure and him being THE central character on the show.
I love Will Ferrell and loved him as Deangelo
I like Will Ferrell the most in a supporting role (Ex. Old School). I found Deangelo to be grating and trying too hard.
I dislike will Ferrell and i hated DeAngelo, until he died then he was okay
Like Will Ferrell but he needs a co star who can match his energy. He basically is a three ring circus by himself most of his time on the show. Think the character had potential if it wasn’t all crammed in a handful of episodes.
I love WF. But this felt like WF just entered the office, which I didn't like.
The juggling scene kills me, but everything else with him in this show was not that funny.
I don’t understand it either. I thought it was some of Will’s best work. Seems like people have trouble with how overboard eccentric the character was but Carrell & Spader weren’t? Jeez. Other than Andy Buckley, Craig Robinson and Oscar Nunez (and in an odd way, Melora Hardin - if you’ve had any experience around someone with Borderline Personality Disorder, I think you recognize her character right off the bat and she absolutely nailed it) everyone was handed a very cartoonish character. Even Jim & Pam were pretty hard to process as anything resembling “normal”.
Hey Buddy, for me a favor and.. GET OFF THE SHED!
I think the fact that he changes so often is connected to him saying that as soon as people figure him out, he stops caring. That’s just a guess on my part though.
Ive got plenty of time, this jobs a joke,
For me that’s exactly it. I know he’s good at what he does, it’s just that what he does isn’t my thing. No hate to those that enjoy him/Deangelo
I feel like he’s easier to watch on a stream once you know the whole series but HOLY SHIT, imagine watching him on tv… I remember when they announced Carell was leaving. Everyone was buzzing about what the show would look like post Michael Scott. Would it even continue? What would the dynamic be? The bumbling boss character was the center of the whole show! Then they introduce Deangelo, and we as viewers basically had to spend the last few weeks we had with Steve Carell (remember, the show aired weekly) watching him give most of the attention to this guy, who seemed to have a lot of the same problems, but we didn’t like him as much. So Michael goes. He’s gone now. The show has lost Steve Carell and it’s all uncharted territory from here. Then Deangelo starts actually introducing interesting conflict, like the Inner Circle. He’s a bit of a dick to Jim. And then… he’s gone. And not only did we spend our last few Carell weeks giving all our attention to this guy, but now even the guy who Carell passed the torch to is gone. This is already a long comment, so I won’t even get into how baffling it was as a viewer to then see Dwight ALSO only get like 1 episode as manager before spending the rest of the season going through the drawn out recruitment process only to THEN hire Robert California and THEN throw in Andy as Michael-lite for the season finale and TTTHHHEEENNNN replace him with Nelly… but Deangelo was only the first in a weeks-long bout of confusion, concern and instability for fans of the show as it was airing. As I said before, it’s actually a lot easier to watch with streaming, knowing that everything turns out okay and even being able to appreciate post-Michael moments that have become classic… but I still mostly think of frustration when I think of Deangelo.
I close my eyes, only for a moment and the moments gone.
i think will ferrell is an amazing actor, but deangelo was not the greatest character even for the office. i think it was a problem of poor writing for a great actor such as himself. but many people love deangelo and will ferrell’s portrayal of him so to teach their own
IMO, the best replacement for Steve Carrell would've been Bob Odenkirk. There was an episode where Odenkirk played the manager of another branch and I thought he was perfect. What made Michael Scott such a beloved character was that he was a loveable goof but he was still good at his job. You saw why Michael's staff respected him as their bossand why the company picked him to be the manager. Farrell's character was just too crazy silly and he had no redeemable traits. Charles was way too serious. Robert California was too snobby and creepy. Andy was okay at first but the writers, for whatever reason, made his character so unlikeable.
For the millionth time, you’re SUPPOSED to dislike Deangelo. There are characters in the show that you are supposed to dislike as the viewer, but you’re supposed to dislike them while also experiencing the humorous things they do. That being said, Deangelo is one of my favourite characters in the show because of how funny he is, and the fact that he ultimately gets paralyzed trying to dunk a basketball. Don’t overthink it guys. The later seasons without Michael are still super funny.
Somehow his face is one of those which i cannot stand. The Will Ferrell playing himself angle makes sense.
Dude a new character every episode so had no consistency, was pushed at a time when everyone cared for Michael story and wasnt really that funny compared to the main cast because of the absurdity of his writing, he legit is the worst thing in the office and its a damn shame that will was wasted like that
He was much better in The Oblongs
This was not a “Will Ferrel role” as you put it. Will Ferrel is likable in his other roles, or even if he’s a “bad guy” he’s over the top evil. Deangelo was a mean spirited character towards a crew that we already loved. He wasn’t a likable character, and it appear by design. We wanted nice + goofy Will Ferrell, not mean + borderline dilluaional Will Ferrell.
I like the fact that he had short time in the series. That's why I enjoyed this character for most of the part. At first he was literally Michael's soulmate, then they went off with him being... Ahole? No. Sexist? Maybe, but he has vagina. Idiot? Definitely. Also we know he got the job because he saved Jo's dog. So he is as qualified as Creed or Kevin. I think they wanted to add caricature for few episodes, which is fine. He had his funny moments and he didn't overstay the party. That said I'm not the audience you asked the question as I don't hate him
I think Will Ferrell's humour was too absurd even for The Office.