Summary
- Space Force failed to capture the magic and success of The Office, despite having Steve Carell and showrunner Greg Daniels at the helm.
- The show suffered due to a seven-year gap since The Office, as the comedy landscape had changed, plus its premise was not relatable.
- Space Force relied too heavily on Carell's character, unlike The Office which had a strong ensemble set of characters, and it failed to be as relatable or funny as its predecessor.
Steve Carell and The Office showrunner Greg Daniels reunited to create Netflix's Space Force, but it proved to fail in every aspect that The Office excelled in. Carell is an icon of comedy, and in recent years, he has proven his versatility and talent in several other more dramatic roles such as on Apple TV's The Morning Show. Daniels is likewise well known for his involvement in popular comedy series including Parks and Recreation, King of the Hill, and The Simpsons, plus the potential The Office reboot. However, the duo didn't create magic with Space Force.
Space Force launched on Netflix in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, but it struggled to gain the success that would have been expected considering the names attached to the project. It was renewed for a second season, which was released in 2022, but has since been canceled due to reportedly low viewing numbers and poor reception from critics and audiences alike. While the poor reception may seem confusing considering the talent behind it, there are plenty of reasons why the series did not work and was completely different from The Office.
8 Why Is Michael Scott A Four-Star General In Space Force?
Steve Carell is iconic in his performance as Michael Scott, a well-intentioned, half-witted boss of a mid-level paper company who wants nothing more than to be loved by his staff. He is goofy, and strange, does not understand where boundaries should be drawn, and contains a sense of innocence that just makes him more lovable than malicious. Taking that character or one similar and making them the head of a major arm of government defense is more unbelievable than funny.
As General Mark Naird, Carell brings a similar wacky energy which is accompanied by exhausted frustration at not being listened to or respected by anyone he works with. While that concept is pretty funny in a largely unimportant paper company like Dunder Mifflin, being handed the keys to a massive government operation and access to billions in budgets kind of dampens the whole experience. He climbed the ranks to become a Four Star General, but somehow, he remains the butt of every joke and no one is willing to obey his orders.
7 Too Much Time Has Passed Since The Office
The Office ran from 2005 to 2013, and Space Force began in 2020. That seven-year gap might not seem like a lot of time, but the landscape of comedy has changed a lot in that time. The Office was able to adapt an irreverent British comedy series into something more family-friendly, but which still made jokes about many subjects that are treated with greater care and respect now. There were a lot of inappropriate relationships, outdated jokes, and many other elements that wouldn't pass with today's audience.
Space Force tried to create similar jokes and settings, which, while toned down, just didn't land in the way that earlier shows do. Scenes and moments are uncomfortable and awkward, such as a group of high-ranking military men commenting on whether a young congresswoman is wearing panties. Possibly, the dynamic that once existed between Carell and Daniels had the pair fall into old humor tropes, forgetting what makes a good comedy show for more modern audiences, despite both having had more success with other projects since.
6 Space Force Relies Too Much On Carell
Steve Carell is undoubtedly a star and a great comedy actor, but, the entire Space Force show relies heavily on him. There is a large cast of characters with some big names, but the whole show focuses on Carell's character. The Office ran for multiple seasons after Carell's departure, and while the show was never the same, the strength of the other core cast was instrumental in keeping the show going. The Office had incredible standout characters like Jim, Pam, and Dwight and even later as the series went on, they introduced a new core cast that felt important like Erin and Andy.
5 Space Force Isn’t As Relateable As The Office
Another aspect that makes The Office so popular is how relatable it is. Most people have experience working in some sort of office environment and know the concept of a boring desk job. Space Force follows the head of the Space Force, a new sector of the defense forces in the US government and that's just too niche for most people to connect to. Unless viewers are high-level military officials or are working at NASA, the show is not relatable.
4 Mark Naird Is Sadder Than Michael Scott
The Office's Michael Scott was a pretty lonely guy whose life revolved around his job and his staff. Most of his relationships ended in disaster and overall, it didn't seem like his quality of life was all that great. But, in comparison to Mark Naird, Michael Scott was living the dream. The four-star general is scoffed at in every branch of government; his wife, played by Lisa Kudrow, is in prison and raising a teenage daughter on his own; and he leads a department that no one takes seriously and is constantly overlooked by his staff. Watching the sadness of Naird's life doesn't make for a great comedy experience.
3 Space Force Could've Used A Mockumentary Style
The Office was set up as a workplace documentary series where a group of cameramen came into the office to record footage of all the day-to-day goings-on. This low-budget, boots-on-the-ground approach added to the series to make something that didn't feel overly produced or like it was trying too hard. Space Force had a massive Netflix budget, which certainly makes for beautiful sets and visuals, but it didn't improve the quality of the show overall. In hindsight, the mockumentary style might have worked for Space Force.
2 Space Force Wasted A Fantastic Cast
Starring in Space Force alongside Steve Carell is John Malkovich as the head of science, Dr. Adrian Mallory, Jimmy O. Yang as Dr. Chan, Ben Schwartz as Tony, the social media consultant, and Tawny Newsome as Angela Li. The series also featured high-profile guests in multi-episode roles during its short 17-episode run, such as Fred Willard, Patton Oswalt, and Lisa Kudrow. Despite a string of famous faces, the incredible cast did not help the show to stand out.
The Office on the other hand starred a cast of largely unknown actors and Steve Carell was making a name for himself, but he was by no means the star he is today. Well-known actors often have a particular type of role that they fit into and audiences connect them to other projects, while new faces have the opportunity to completely mold a role to something brand new without preconceptions. Space Force wasted its talented cast with storylines that did not allow them to shine.
1 The Political Satire Of Space Force Is Subpar
The Office largely avoided political commentary or any humor that was tied to current events, which gave the show a "timeless" feel. Space Force leaned into political commentary, which makes sense considering the whole show was based on a topical situation with the US creating a Space Force division in 2019. However, Space Force makes little of its potential political satire, which falls flat compared to other burning issues from the same period. Space Force was lacking in many ways and instead of creating a perfect storm of comedy, it was a bit of a mess that didn't have the same heart as The Office.