9 Worst Times TV Shows Went Meta

One of the things it’s helpful to ignore when watching The US Office is the documentary format: it’s patently silly to think that a team of filmmakers has stuck around an office for a decade.

Not only do they gain seemingly nothing for their diligence, they fail to intervene in emergencies. They’ve mutely stood by as a man with dementia goes missing at a wedding, an employee has started a fire within the office for a drill, and countless other incidents. They are wordless sentinels, offering neither comfort nor acknowledgement, eternally watching, waiting.

So it was entirely distracting for the show to turn meta in its ninth season. Although in some ways the move made sense, upping the stakes and offering closure, it raised far more questions than answers.

Worst of all was the introduction of Brian, a handsome boom operator who is a “big fan” of Jim and Pam (every TV show needs an on-screen superfan these days). He even intervenes at one point, saving Pam from a furious Frank. Brian ultimately loses his job for the indiscretion, but not before we’ve been allowed to peak unhelpfully behind the curtain, raising awkward questions about the creakiness of the mockumentary format. It was the moment when a floundering show finally lost any sense of itself.