Watching the first season of The Office is unnerving for a number of reasons. The show was trying very hard to recreate exactly what the original UK version did, but it just wasn't working. Before it figured out how to be its own, wonderful thing, there's just some noticeably odd things happening at Dunder Mifflin at the start. Michael had truly awful slicked-back hair, there's some employees we see but never meet or find ever again (https://theoffice.fandom.com/wiki/Background_Employees?file=Pilotemployees.jpg) and, most notably, whoever the hell Kelly Kapoor was supposed to be.
Mindy Kaling's character starts off as demure and buttoned-up with nary a hint of what the beloved Kelly she would eventually evolve into: a bubbly, boy-crazy person you could only describe as b-a-n-a-n-a-s. It's SO weird to see Season 1 Kelly because...that's not Kelly! I'm so glad the writers decided to do a complete 180 with her, because that first Kelly prototype was no fun.
Of course, Kelly Kapoor isn't the only character to make huge transformations over the course of their respective show. I think Parks and Rec went through similar growing pains in their first season and eventually learned not to make Leslie Knope something of a female Michael Scott and instead made her the powerhouse we'd come to know and love.
Which characters' major transformation arcs stick out with you?
I've been sucked into yet another marathon of The Office on Comedy Central (I'm not sure this channel airs anything else at this point) and while I get a total kick out of the Harvey the Computer cold open ("You ruined a good joke you get out of my offive!") nothing even comes remotely close to Kevin and his homemade chili. It's comedy perfection in a single minute. It's just the beauty of his pure joy and pride in his chili ("Everyone is going to get to know each other in the pot") and the horrific scene that plays out. He does everything exactly wrong in that panicked moment and I think I love it so damn much because that's almost certainly how I'd handle that situation.
I mean, this is the show at its best and this is outstanding physical comedy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcYG-5b7448
Do you have a different favorite cold open?
Michael Scott: It Is Your Birthday.
In the classic Season 2 episode titled, aptly, "Michael's Birthday," the Dunder Mifflin boss tells the cameras that he shares the same birthday as Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria, which will give him a great icebreaker if he ever meets Teri Hatcher.
Turns out, March 15th is Eva Longoria's birthday, so that means today is Michael Scott's birthday! May he get all the "surprise" ice skating rink trips, posters of James Dean and gift sets of Night Swept his heart desires.