Pop Smart - The Office”: to Dunder-Mifflin Infinity -- and beyond!”

(Image courtesy NBC)

“The Deposition,” last night’s episode of “The Office” on NBC, marks the last new episode of the show “in the can” since the writers’ strike began Nov. 5. There’s no telling when the show’s fourth season will return if the writers’ strike drags on for months, and NBC has just suspended the actors on half-pay.

Lots of talk about shark-jumping have accompanied the new season, particularly when “The Office” began with four hour-long episodes, a decision roundly criticized. The real problem came not from the admittedly unwieldy length, but the creators’ decisions in shaking up its formula. For three seasons, the sitcom focused mostly on the maddening minutia of the workplace, enlivened by the clueless behavior of needy boss Michael Scott and fascist geek Dwight Schrute (Steve Carell and the brilliant Rainn Wilson). The unrequited love between Jim and Pam (John Krasinksi and Jenna Fischer) provided a crucial, bittersweet counterpoint. At its best, “The Office” is my favorite television comedy, with its second and third seasons at times improving on the terrific original British show.