The Office: 10 Best Characters Who Appeared After Season One

James Spader’s prominent season eight role isn’t for everyone, and for good reason. The big named star does somewhat take over matters for his spell on the show, with entire episodes set around his marital problems and attempts to mold Andy as a businessman, clear signs that the show is spinning its wheels.

But the character himself? Well, he’s just plain funny. Spader makes no attempt to mitigate his intensity for an upbeat sitcom, and his alien presence gives all of his scenes a bizarre air that wasn’t necessarily what fans were crying out for, but certainly keeps things moving when other storylines aren’t offering too much.

His mysterious attempts at manipulation and mind games are amusingly directionless, but in Spader’s talented hands it certainly entertains, even if it doesn’t necessarily “work”. His ruminations on life, sex, and Sesame Street make him a highlight of the dying days of the show, even if he is admitedly much more prominent than he ought to be.

It’s also important to note that “Robert California” is simply such a funny name for a character. That alone does a lot of the heavy lifting.