The Office UK Vs US: Which Characters Are Best?
6. Rachel vs Karen Fillipelli
An easy choice. When Rachel moves from Swindon to Slough in the UK show’s second season, she is little more than a plot device.
Stacey Roca gives it her all and the character works as the bold and forward counterpoint to timid Dawn, but ultimately she’s never going to win Tim’s affections in the long term.
While the US’s Karen Fillipelli is also ultimately just the spare point on a love triangle, she is given a full season to develop as a character, and is allowed to breathe in scenes that don’t involve (directly, anyway) her current boyfriend.
Jim and Karen are believable as a real couple, and she is pitched just right in this regard: her forthrightness and confidence are clearly appealing to Jim, but we can see that she’s never going to replace Pam in his affections.
When she’s dropped at the end of season three it’s a shame, and it does illustrate that she was only in the show to serve a purpose, but as a character she’s far richer than her UK equivalent.