8. To What Extent Does Oscar's Homosexuality Define Him?
The only character besides Kelly Kapur to have changed so much that they're practically unrecognizable from Season 1 to Season 9 is Oscar Martinez. A major reason for this, at least retroactively, is that Oscar's homosexuality was hidden from the office until Michael "accidentally" outed him in Season 3. Of course, his sexuality isn't his only defining characteristic: he's also a rational intellectual, a condescending know-it-all, and the frequently exasperated moral compass of the Scranton branch. But while those traits remain more-or-less constant, his homosexuality is often amped up to the extreme, resulting in some truly cringeworthy scenes. Going back to Season 4's Job Fair, for instance, Oscar can be seen wasting time, casually shooting hoops with Daryl. It's no big deal. Gay men can be good at sports. But later, in the Season 6 episode Happy Hour, when Oscar is trying to subtly flirt with the only other openly gay man in the office (warehouse worker, Matt, brought in solely as a romantic interest), the two of them shoot hoops together, only this time Oscar looks as though he's never seen a basketball before. And talks about "hoops" as though it's the first time he's ever said the word. It's a significant moment because, depending on the scene's intentions (or lack thereof), this could either mean that Oscar simply loses himself and his personality whenever a love interest is near, or the producers of the show just wanted to "turn up" Oscar's homosexuality for some cheap laughs.
