Production on the eighth season of "The Office" is under way, but there are still some major questions. There is a lot we know about the eighth season. Obviously, we know Steve Carell is gone. We also know that James Spader will join the cast and fill the CEO role at Sabre. In addition, Jenna Fischer is pregnant, and that will be written into the series. That means there is a second baby for Jim and Pam on the way. But there is one major thing that the producers have managed to keep under wraps. "The Office" fans will have to wait to find out who the branch manager will be.
According to Fischer, the writers and cast know who the new manager will be. Fischer said she liked the choice and that fans will be happy with it. I don't doubt that, but now we can officially speculate on who that will be.
Did Catherine Tate join the cast in a secret way? She was rumored to be a favorite of the producers. Did "The Office" and another star manage to keep that a secret? I highly doubt that either of those scenarios happened. In this day and age, keeping a new actor secret is going to be impossible. That means that the new manager will likely come from within the regular cast. There are a lot of candidates. Jim, Dwight, Andy and Daryl seem to the most likely. I also think Stanley would be a solid pick. Of all of those characters, Dwight and Andy would be the two I wouldn't want to see. I love both characters, but we have already seen Dwight as the manager. It doesn't make sense to do it again. Meanwhile, Andy's goofiness is better suited for his current role. Other potential players, such as Ryan or Kelly, wouldn't be good picks. The fun of seeing them would run out after a few episodes. With Jim, Daryl or Stanley at the helm, "The Office" could sustain some momentum.
As a fan of the show, I hope the spoilers don't get out. We already know about Spader, so it would be kind of nice to see a surprise as far as the branch manager. That said, I hope they pick one person and stick with that. Shuffling around the position has already been done and it wouldn't be wise to do that again. The anticipation of seeing how "The Office" will look as it starts its new era is very exciting. I hope everything works out well and the show can last another couple of seasons. With the talented writers and cast, there is no reason to think that that can't happen.
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