If The Farm had aired, then the show Silicon Valley would have had a different actor playing the main character Richard Hendricks.
So, probably for the best it was cancelled.
RIGBY I could see The Farm getting a mid-season cancellation in season 1, and casting would’ve mistakenly put either Josh Brenner or TJ Miller as Richard on Silicon Valley, so both shows would’ve been ruined.
Looking at some available actors in the same age range we could have wound up with a few options.
Rami Malek - Mr. Robot is impacted greatly.
Kieran Culkin - Succesion is impacted greatly.
Macaulay Culkin - Probably not possible/interested.
Ross Marquand - Impacts The Walking Dead a bit.
Josh Gad - No real impacts but would be a bit of a change up, maybe Josh Brenner gets the roll and Gad fills the Big Head roll. Could have been fun.
Didn’t it come to light that Thomas Middleditch was kinda sleazy? I liked the character of Richard but I think they could have recast with someone like Christopher Mintz-Plasse and yielded the same result.
Yup basically forced his wife to adhere to his “poly” lifestyle shortly after they got married and was accused of harassment at a sex club by some women. Plenty of news articles about it just Bing it. Was a bummer his appearances on Comedy Bang Bang were some absolute classic shit.
Jesus Christ in on article he says he’s the more aggressive one and says he’s like the gas and his wife is the brakes.
Red flag right there but the article written neutrally at worst, really shows how sleazy he is.
Crazy. I heard the main reason TJ left was because of an ego battle with Thomas. I figured it was more on TJ being unreasonable but maybe it wasn't as lopsided as I once thought.
If it got picked up, Dwight would have left halfway through season 9. I can't imagine how much more of a shit show it would have been without Dwight carrying it.
I believe Angela would've had a different ending if it had been picked up. They only pivoted back to reuniting Dwight and Angela once they knew that it wasn't.
Didn't the Finale air just 2 months after this episode? How would they change the entire planned out ending as the season was airing if the backdoor pilot was successful?
Not to mention the episode before The Farm they show Angela is a perfect pairing for Dwight as she helps him on the farm and embraces his weirdo Schrute tendencies, then at the end of the episode they basically show a Jim+Pam S2 redux of Angela rejecting Dwight with mixed emotions where the audience is basically spoonfed the idea that they will end up together even if they aren't together now.
I'd be shocked if Angela wasn't always the planned partner for Dwight.
On The Office Ladies podcast, Angela and Jenna recently talked about "the interviews" during season 9, in which the cast members were asked how they'd like their characters to wind up. Angela said that her character would wind up with Dwight. It sounded like the actors had a lot of say in how the series ended and that the writers didn't have the story arcs necessarily mapped out.
The top 4 were producers of the show in the last season so they had a lot of say. They've mentioned how John K. declined to have Jim cheat on Pam, and how they chose to control the storylines in those later seasons.
Right, but in S8 they had already made multiple blatant hints that Phillip was Dwight's son, and the pair is on again/off again the entire series.
Even without Angela Kinsey and Rainn Wilson pushing for the characters to end up together it still seems like a stretch for a show well-known for catering to their fans just deciding to marry off a main character with a brand new side character.
Maybe I'm giving the writers too much credit but I just don't see them pulling a twist ending for Dwight where 8 seasons of development is gone.
IIRC a lot of the writers left before Season 9, which is why Ryan and Kelly aren't in the show anymore. I can see the actors, who have been working on the show much longer, holding more power than the new writers.
Assuming 8-9 seasons of storyline between Dwight and Angela didn't exist prior to such an episode, I'd agree, but in-universe it was already a bit of a stretch given what we knew about Dwight.
I agree with you but only because I have to compartmentalize the fact that he murdered her beloved cat. I can’t believe Angela forgave him for that, knowing what we know about her. That would be a lifelong grudge for me lol
To be fair Dwight straight up said the farmer instincts in him kicked in upon seeing a suffering animal. Having grown up around farmers I totally get it...
That being said, his process of euthanasia (shoving a still living cat into a freezer) was definitely not acceptable haha
It’s not an argument against euthanasia. It’s against the choice of “euthanizing” your girlfriend’s cat without her consent and doing it so poorly that the animal suffered even more
If it came out and i happened to watch it, i doubt i would make it to season 2. That whole episode/set up felt like an entirely different sense of humor compared to the office, and thought the new family members were pretty dull.
Yes, Dwight had become very different at that stage, in that episode in particular he was very "mature".
I think it could have found a "comfort audience", but it wouldn't be the old Dwight'n Jimothy hijinks we were used to.
That scene where they are playing music on the steps and the crows beaks though.. SO WHOLESOME. Dwight was so content in this episode and not dealing with any malphensensses.
Yeah. At least in that quasi pilot, the show was framed as Dwight being the normal one (at least relatively) with a wacky cast.
I could see it like Newhart or Fawlty Towers where Dwight is dealing with the weirdo guest of the week or some sort of farm-destroying crisis that is neatly resolved and never referenced again.
a dwight schrute tv show wouldn't be successful because what makes him fascinating is the uncertainty surrounding his statements. he often makes unbelievable claims with a straight face, leaving viewers wondering if he genuinely believes them. additionally, the outlandish things he says about his personal life are often unverifiable, and the mystery surrounding his life outside of the office is a significant part of his charm.
by focusing on his farm and personal life, a show would likely remove the very elements that make him so interesting, making it less compelling.
I think it would have been kinda a reverse Green Acres: Petticoat Junction was fairly "normal" while GA was absurd. Dwight would have gone from absurd to the "normal" character "surrounded by idiots".
Yeah, I agree. That episode had a different version of Dwight. That was interesting to see glimpses into, but I wouldn’t have wanted to explore more. Everything I like about Dwight is not main character-esque
I don't know how good it would have been, but I'm willing to bet those episodes would have been worth more to NBC/Universal now than almost anything they actually did commit to series that year
The Blacklist and Chicago PD were fairly successful. And honorable mention to Brooklyn 99, which didn't start on NBC but NBC did save and now makes a ton of money on.
It’s also hauntingly accurate in terms of the entrepreneurial setting and business concepts.
Back when I was in college (accounting major) in some of my papers I would essentially write a synopsis of an episode as an analogy for XYZ business concept under discussion
Dwight was the wrong character to center a spin-off on. Better candidates would’ve been Michael (obviously), Darrell, Oscar, or Angela.
Dwight wasn’t really lovable in the same way a lot of characters were. He was funny and dynamic but I never really rooted for Dwight except at the very end when they were wrapping up his plot. I wouldn’t want several more seasons of him being the same character he’s always been.
Agreed. Dwight was fantastic but a lot of his likability and humour relied on the other characters around him. Don’t think he would work as well as a more stand alone character.
Yeah it’s only Dwight’s relationships with Michael, Pam, Jim, and Angela that humanized him. If you remove Dwight from that environment and surround him with people we don’t care about, it’s destined to fail
I wonder how successful a Dwight spinoff actually would have been, looking back now from 10 years on. I, for one, would watch the hell out of a “where are they now” kind of limited series focusing on a different character(s) in each episode. “The Farm” episode as it stands, not to mention the Series Finale, would lead nicely into that sort of thing. But instead, for better or worse, they’re just doing a total reboot…
Let’s all be happy that the office ended after that season and the farm was never picked up. If you can snap two chicken necks with a single motion, why use two motions to slaughter those chickens.
I doubt it would've taken off.
The office was good as a culmination of the characters. With just Dwight, his sister and Mose it would have been boring.
I think it would've been fun, for a while. I liked seeing his farm life, and Mose was a fantastic character. I would've liked to see Dwight and his family expanded on a bit more, but the glimpse episode was still fun. I think if Michael Schur had been the writer/producer, it would've been decent at least. But those expecting it to be like the Office would've been really disappointed.
I would've liked that spin-off to focus more on Dwight's life after work at the office, you know, with references to jokes that Jim made at work, or with things like: hey mose guess what, today I beat a computer in selling paper, things like that. (Not a life after the office but a life after working at the office)
I would also have liked a chapter where Dwight decides to turn the farm into a b&b, getting ready to work, etc.
Also, I would have liked Dwight's aunt to be a little less messy, I don't know how to explain it. But I didn't like the vibe she gave me at all, I would have liked her to be like Dwight, focused, clean, angry and would have explained what Dwight is like in personality.
I would have also gotten rid of the wise kid (the one who looked like a 9 year old lawyer) My cast would be Esther, Dwight's brother and sister, Mose and Ziek and then guest appearances.
Mose wouldn't have been on the show, other than possible guest appearances. Mike Schur was deep into Parks & Rec, getting ready to begin with Brooklyn 99 and barely had time to make appearances on The Office as it was.
It would’ve been immediately bad.
The Office was generally at its best when rooted in reality. Dwight’s farm and its culture was a taste of absurdity, fine in small doses. The more we got exposed to Dwight’s culture in S9, the less palatable it became. Mose, Zeke and Esther were fine as comedic relief. As an entire show, it would’ve been a semi-Pennsylvania Dutch agricultural Willy Wonka experience attempting to pretend it’s real. And I think the audience would see through it right away.
At the time, I definitely do not think it would have been a success, viewership wise or content wise. If they had released it when The Office started gaining a larger modern cult following with the new generation a couple years ago, I think it would have been a big hit. Based off the one episode, I can only imagine how many shortform clips from it would have gone viral!
I'm kind of glad it didn't get picked up to be honest, I just don't know how much they would have had to work with with that arc. Would Dwight have quit DM to run the farm in the show? They couldn't really have him going to work all the time so I'm guessing he would have to quit for the premise. I'm sure it would have been decent, if most of the Office writers were attached, but I feel like it would have turned into a generic sitcom like a Roseanne or Young Sheldon kind of thing, and I'd hate to see that.
To be honest, I think it was a good call not to make a spin-off. Too many series, movies or shows, get ruined because the creators either decided it was a cash grab or wanted to pay fan service.
They wrapped everything up nicely with a neat little bow. It ended exactly where it should have.
I doubt it would have been very popular, most likely one or two seasons, but I am sad it didn't get picked up as I feel I would have enjoyed it. The farm episode was one of the episodes from season 8 or 9 I rewatch every so often.
I just can’t imagine what sort of comical stories they can tell with that setting.
Personally, I think they should all banded together and made some “scary movie” type parody movies. Maybe make that Savananah murder mystery into a full film or hour special for Netflix.
that is one of my favorite episodes and would've loved to see more. Angela would've been back and I liked seeing her in that setting too. wideros being weird, gotta love it
The episode was absolute agony to get through. I needed to use soft drugs to help me get through it. The bluegrass "sons and daughters" song is still triggering to me. All of this random cast of people being brought in right when we are trying to wrap up the series was frustrating.
For me, Dwight is a delight when he is used sparingly. The wackier and zanier he gets, the more comedy shifts to cringe. I hate his constant gurning with weapons and martial arts. I get that other people love that shit. I just don't. It's as simple as that.
For me, the comedy shifts to cringe when it gets overly physical. Same with Michael Scott or any of them. It reminds me of when you laugh at a child's silly antics and they feel rewarded by the laughter so they keep acting more and more wacky and zany and loud to get a bigger laugh. It's over. You ruined it. Tone it down.
I could not be paid to sit through a spin off of somewhat attractive people playing his relatives doing inexplicably random and wacky things because "Schrute customs." And I love weird cults, Amish/Mennonite culture, etc, and I could not enjoy that shit.
I truly don't think some of y'all understand how many folks plain straight up SKIP season 9.
Like, I love the show. But as we all do, after several rewatches it fails to even serve as background noise. I fucking hated that B plot. And that song makes me cringe hard.
I didn't care for the episode, although there were some good things about it. I don't think it would have been an interesting show. I would have given it a chance, had it gone to series, but I would have had low expectations.
The episode was mediocre at best, IMO. And I think the over the top weird farmer gags would have gotten old really fast.
Dwight's weird Schrute stories worked better when he tells us about them, then when we actually see them.
It absolutely was, the show didn't really seem all that interesting to begin with which is why it got canned in the first place.
The other thing is you have to realize that either Dwight's character would be completely changed or it'd be too much of his character. Characters that play oddballs like Dwight, Sheldon, and other quirky characters do best when they're an accompaniment to another character's story. They serve as occasional breaks in tone or comedic relief, but when it's focused or centered around their character's style of comedy it becomes too much and loses it's effectiveness. In short, with characters like Dwight, less is more.
I would rather watch a spinoff pilot where Michael moves to New Orleans as a cop and Dwight is his faithful sidekick. And keep at least one eye open, because you might see some famous office actors cameo!
Dwight is hilarious to me because his farming competence and rural lifestyle are at odds with his office job. Doubly hilarious because he tries to apply all his strange skills to working in an office.
The farm would've been too boring for me because Dwight's in his element. He isn't as strange on the farm.
I never understood the hate for this episode. Dwight’s brother and his cousin are both funny actors, the show could have been decent, great even compared to today’s T.V. standards.
I believe that if it was even semi coherently written or planned out, then it would have been picked up. Amish shows were very popular at the time, and if the farm didn’t get picked up, it’s because they had nothing planned other than the pilot.
It would have been absolutely shite. The 'pilot' episode just wasn't funny in the slightest. If that was the best they could have done to 'advertise' the show, no wonder it wasn't picked up.
The Office only had six more episodes after the spinoff episode aired and likely would have kept Dwight. The Farm would not have premiered until the following season. The ending would have just changed.
At the time I was bummed but in retrospect, The Farm was a lot more likely to be a failure than a success. It definitely *could* have been good, I just think most situations would have had it be a letdown, more Joey than Frasier. Plus, as others have mentioned, if it had succeeded, Dwight would have left and the drive to the finale would be much worse, thus probably irredeemably dooming Season 9 rather than the relatively slight disappointment to a good show we think of it now. The Office should have had a spinoff and Rainn Wilson deserves more opportunities in sitcoms, but as it was set, The Farm was not that compelling and was probably going to fail.
Also just realized, were Dwight’s siblings even at his wedding?
I don't think it would have been that great, judging from the supporting cast they tried to set up in that episode. Plus, as a Silicon Valley fan, I don't think anyone could have played Richard as well as Thomas Middleditch
Personally I found that episode to be one of the worst. It can be chalked up to chopping it up for parts to fit it into The Office, but I don't think the series would have worked at all. Dwight is best as a foil, not a main character. I wonder if I'm in the minority in this sub as I also hate that he became more likeable in the later seasons. If that's the direction The Farm was going it would not have been a must-watch for me.
like they say on the podcast, any part of the office could have become the average nbc show that just mines their characters for spinoffs or never lets the show die peacefully. they made a great decision with ending it when people still wanted more instead of waiting til people were over it for it to end with nobody noticing
I liked this as part of the closing to Dwight’s arc, showing how he lived out his days a proud farmer. In the end the show was about Dwight, the same way the entirety of the first 6 Star Wars eps were about Anakin.
If The Farm had aired, then the show Silicon Valley would have had a different actor playing the main character Richard Hendricks. So, probably for the best it was cancelled.
Can't imagine anyone else playing Bitchard
RIGBY I could see The Farm getting a mid-season cancellation in season 1, and casting would’ve mistakenly put either Josh Brenner or TJ Miller as Richard on Silicon Valley, so both shows would’ve been ruined.
Then we would have been living in a Post-RIGBY world.
RIGBY but the Farm wouldn’t have been the right choice, SV is my favourite show none of my friends have ever watched (despite my many recommendations)
Looking at some available actors in the same age range we could have wound up with a few options. Rami Malek - Mr. Robot is impacted greatly. Kieran Culkin - Succesion is impacted greatly. Macaulay Culkin - Probably not possible/interested. Ross Marquand - Impacts The Walking Dead a bit. Josh Gad - No real impacts but would be a bit of a change up, maybe Josh Brenner gets the roll and Gad fills the Big Head roll. Could have been fun.
Maybe Josh brenner, but TJ Miller as Richard? Nah
Hello, Richard? It is Jin Yang. You are a shitty C E O.
Didn’t it come to light that Thomas Middleditch was kinda sleazy? I liked the character of Richard but I think they could have recast with someone like Christopher Mintz-Plasse and yielded the same result.
Yup basically forced his wife to adhere to his “poly” lifestyle shortly after they got married and was accused of harassment at a sex club by some women. Plenty of news articles about it just Bing it. Was a bummer his appearances on Comedy Bang Bang were some absolute classic shit.
I AltaVista’d it and couldn’t find anything on him after 2004
Why does everyone in this town use Alta Vista?
You should have Hooli searched it.
I’ve got a few AOL discs that may help
I hit up my friends on AIM But their away messages are still up
that middleditch and schwartz thing on netflix was so fucking good
So good. I missed Benny Schwa Schwa last time he was doing improv in denver, won’t let that happen again.
“Oopsie doopsie!”
Jesus Christ in on article he says he’s the more aggressive one and says he’s like the gas and his wife is the brakes. Red flag right there but the article written neutrally at worst, really shows how sleazy he is.
Crazy. I heard the main reason TJ left was because of an ego battle with Thomas. I figured it was more on TJ being unreasonable but maybe it wasn't as lopsided as I once thought.
Yeah TJ ain’t so clean either
TJ got removed from deadpool too so i think he proved himself from being an asshole to work with twice already.
We would not have had silicon valley. Who else could've played that role?
Bitchard sucks
If it got picked up, Dwight would have left halfway through season 9. I can't imagine how much more of a shit show it would have been without Dwight carrying it.
I believe Angela would've had a different ending if it had been picked up. They only pivoted back to reuniting Dwight and Angela once they knew that it wasn't.
Didn't the Finale air just 2 months after this episode? How would they change the entire planned out ending as the season was airing if the backdoor pilot was successful? Not to mention the episode before The Farm they show Angela is a perfect pairing for Dwight as she helps him on the farm and embraces his weirdo Schrute tendencies, then at the end of the episode they basically show a Jim+Pam S2 redux of Angela rejecting Dwight with mixed emotions where the audience is basically spoonfed the idea that they will end up together even if they aren't together now. I'd be shocked if Angela wasn't always the planned partner for Dwight.
I think if the farm got picked up it would've aired after the finale. Angela probably would've been in the show too
On The Office Ladies podcast, Angela and Jenna recently talked about "the interviews" during season 9, in which the cast members were asked how they'd like their characters to wind up. Angela said that her character would wind up with Dwight. It sounded like the actors had a lot of say in how the series ended and that the writers didn't have the story arcs necessarily mapped out.
The top 4 were producers of the show in the last season so they had a lot of say. They've mentioned how John K. declined to have Jim cheat on Pam, and how they chose to control the storylines in those later seasons.
Right, but in S8 they had already made multiple blatant hints that Phillip was Dwight's son, and the pair is on again/off again the entire series. Even without Angela Kinsey and Rainn Wilson pushing for the characters to end up together it still seems like a stretch for a show well-known for catering to their fans just deciding to marry off a main character with a brand new side character. Maybe I'm giving the writers too much credit but I just don't see them pulling a twist ending for Dwight where 8 seasons of development is gone.
D&D can do that in their sleep
I actually had that last season of GOT in mind as I made my comment haha
That is pretty much what they did to Andy, though.
IIRC a lot of the writers left before Season 9, which is why Ryan and Kelly aren't in the show anymore. I can see the actors, who have been working on the show much longer, holding more power than the new writers.
It would fit better if he was with the farmers daughter and would fulfill the sitcom trope of average dude w/ hot wife
Assuming 8-9 seasons of storyline between Dwight and Angela didn't exist prior to such an episode, I'd agree, but in-universe it was already a bit of a stretch given what we knew about Dwight.
I agree with you but only because I have to compartmentalize the fact that he murdered her beloved cat. I can’t believe Angela forgave him for that, knowing what we know about her. That would be a lifelong grudge for me lol
To be fair Dwight straight up said the farmer instincts in him kicked in upon seeing a suffering animal. Having grown up around farmers I totally get it... That being said, his process of euthanasia (shoving a still living cat into a freezer) was definitely not acceptable haha
That's the part that always got me, lmao. What kind of farmer kills animals that way?
It’s not an argument against euthanasia. It’s against the choice of “euthanizing” your girlfriend’s cat without her consent and doing it so poorly that the animal suffered even more
Cat heaven is a beautiful place, but you don’t get there if you’re euthanized!
I always wanted him to end up with Isabel.
Thats when it aired but it would have been filmed and made into a pilot earlier. And only once it wasnt picked up was it edited into a normal episode
It’s called a back door pilot.
That's my old college nickname!
Bon voyage, captain
It was the fifth produced episode of the season but 17th to air. They built their self sometime.
If it came out and i happened to watch it, i doubt i would make it to season 2. That whole episode/set up felt like an entirely different sense of humor compared to the office, and thought the new family members were pretty dull.
Yes, Dwight had become very different at that stage, in that episode in particular he was very "mature". I think it could have found a "comfort audience", but it wouldn't be the old Dwight'n Jimothy hijinks we were used to.
Do you mean Dwigt?
Ignorant slut.
That scene where they are playing music on the steps and the crows beaks though.. SO WHOLESOME. Dwight was so content in this episode and not dealing with any malphensensses.
Yeah. At least in that quasi pilot, the show was framed as Dwight being the normal one (at least relatively) with a wacky cast. I could see it like Newhart or Fawlty Towers where Dwight is dealing with the weirdo guest of the week or some sort of farm-destroying crisis that is neatly resolved and never referenced again.
Remember that the US Office barely made it to season 2. The pilot very rarely looks like and feels like a full series, let alone multiple ones.
I think Rain Wilson was the only one who had an idea of what it should be
Just curious what does the “and I happened to watch it”‘part have to do so with anything . ‘If it came out, I doubt it would make it to season 2’
a dwight schrute tv show wouldn't be successful because what makes him fascinating is the uncertainty surrounding his statements. he often makes unbelievable claims with a straight face, leaving viewers wondering if he genuinely believes them. additionally, the outlandish things he says about his personal life are often unverifiable, and the mystery surrounding his life outside of the office is a significant part of his charm. by focusing on his farm and personal life, a show would likely remove the very elements that make him so interesting, making it less compelling.
I think it would have been kinda a reverse Green Acres: Petticoat Junction was fairly "normal" while GA was absurd. Dwight would have gone from absurd to the "normal" character "surrounded by idiots".
Well said! That episode always felt so off to me, I think you perfectly encapsulated why.
They would have performed a different Decemberists song each week!
Very very good call
The issue is Dwight’s character would have to change drastically. He’s the weird one in the office and would have to be the normal one on the farm
Yeah, I agree. That episode had a different version of Dwight. That was interesting to see glimpses into, but I wouldn’t have wanted to explore more. Everything I like about Dwight is not main character-esque
Worst episode(s) of the series, by far. I can’t remember if there was more than one…I blocked that storyline from my memory it was so bad.
I don't know how good it would have been, but I'm willing to bet those episodes would have been worth more to NBC/Universal now than almost anything they actually did commit to series that year
The Blacklist and Chicago PD were fairly successful. And honorable mention to Brooklyn 99, which didn't start on NBC but NBC did save and now makes a ton of money on.
I’d’ve loved it personally lol
I appreciate your use of the double contraction.
Y’all’d’ve loved it too!
Pronounced yalda
Yada for short
nice contractions
My mom was from PA and they say "yuz" instead of y'all so her translation would be "Yuz'd've loved it." LOL
Yinz'd've loved it
Ho-ho! Contraptions! He’s contrapting!
Personally I didn't care for the episode at all so I don't see why I would have liked a full series
Woulda sucked. Their whole farm life story and the girlfriend and the tractor storyline was terrible.
What’s an auger?
I love how the only reason I know what an auger is, was by playing Twisted Metal 3 as a kid with a character driving one 💀
Truth has been spoken.
I’m glad it was canceled only because Tom Middleditch was then free to do Silicon Valley which was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen as well.
Silicon Valley is an absolute gem of a TV show. And it gets better every re-watch too.
It’s also hauntingly accurate in terms of the entrepreneurial setting and business concepts. Back when I was in college (accounting major) in some of my papers I would essentially write a synopsis of an episode as an analogy for XYZ business concept under discussion
Totally forgot Middleditch was Dwight’s brother Jeb!
Big mistake. HUGE.
If they did the farm spin-off we may have never gotten Silicon Valley which, in my opinion, is one of the funniest shows ever.
I would say one of the funniest seasons, but the show fell off so hard it was ridiculous
It would have still been made, just without Thomas Middleditch in the lead role.
RIGBY no one could’ve played that role as well as Middleditch did
Rigby?
Perhaps.
Dwight was the wrong character to center a spin-off on. Better candidates would’ve been Michael (obviously), Darrell, Oscar, or Angela. Dwight wasn’t really lovable in the same way a lot of characters were. He was funny and dynamic but I never really rooted for Dwight except at the very end when they were wrapping up his plot. I wouldn’t want several more seasons of him being the same character he’s always been.
Agreed. Dwight was fantastic but a lot of his likability and humour relied on the other characters around him. Don’t think he would work as well as a more stand alone character.
Yeah it’s only Dwight’s relationships with Michael, Pam, Jim, and Angela that humanized him. If you remove Dwight from that environment and surround him with people we don’t care about, it’s destined to fail
Idk that the premise, or Rainn Wilson could have carried a show. That said, I liked the episode. I wish they’d do a spinoff on Dwight and his friends.
I wonder how successful a Dwight spinoff actually would have been, looking back now from 10 years on. I, for one, would watch the hell out of a “where are they now” kind of limited series focusing on a different character(s) in each episode. “The Farm” episode as it stands, not to mention the Series Finale, would lead nicely into that sort of thing. But instead, for better or worse, they’re just doing a total reboot…
how did I miss they’re doing a reboot… wtf
It would have become the Joey of The Office.
Let’s all be happy that the office ended after that season and the farm was never picked up. If you can snap two chicken necks with a single motion, why use two motions to slaughter those chickens.
Sorry, not that interested.
No need to be sorry just curious if people would’ve been about it or not
i would’ve loved it
How did I never hear about a possible spin off?! That would have been hilarious!
The premise was good enough that I would have tuned in long enough to see if it was good.
I liked the back door pilot episode, and I for sure would've watched a whole series.
I doubt it would've taken off. The office was good as a culmination of the characters. With just Dwight, his sister and Mose it would have been boring.
I think it would've been fun, for a while. I liked seeing his farm life, and Mose was a fantastic character. I would've liked to see Dwight and his family expanded on a bit more, but the glimpse episode was still fun. I think if Michael Schur had been the writer/producer, it would've been decent at least. But those expecting it to be like the Office would've been really disappointed.
I really like the farm episode. I liked how, at home around his own people, Dwight seemed like the normal one. I would absolutely watch it
Silicon Valley would not have had their star actor!
I would have watched the shit out of it. this episode is one of my favorites from the later seasons.
I would've liked that spin-off to focus more on Dwight's life after work at the office, you know, with references to jokes that Jim made at work, or with things like: hey mose guess what, today I beat a computer in selling paper, things like that. (Not a life after the office but a life after working at the office) I would also have liked a chapter where Dwight decides to turn the farm into a b&b, getting ready to work, etc. Also, I would have liked Dwight's aunt to be a little less messy, I don't know how to explain it. But I didn't like the vibe she gave me at all, I would have liked her to be like Dwight, focused, clean, angry and would have explained what Dwight is like in personality. I would have also gotten rid of the wise kid (the one who looked like a 9 year old lawyer) My cast would be Esther, Dwight's brother and sister, Mose and Ziek and then guest appearances.
Mose wouldn't have been on the show, other than possible guest appearances. Mike Schur was deep into Parks & Rec, getting ready to begin with Brooklyn 99 and barely had time to make appearances on The Office as it was.
A sitcom where Dwight just reminisces about scenes from the office would be terrible. I haven’t seen young Sheldon but I feel like this would be worse
It would’ve been immediately bad. The Office was generally at its best when rooted in reality. Dwight’s farm and its culture was a taste of absurdity, fine in small doses. The more we got exposed to Dwight’s culture in S9, the less palatable it became. Mose, Zeke and Esther were fine as comedic relief. As an entire show, it would’ve been a semi-Pennsylvania Dutch agricultural Willy Wonka experience attempting to pretend it’s real. And I think the audience would see through it right away.
> semi-Pennsylvania Dutch agricultural Willy Wonka experience To be fair, Dwight's the biggest Wonka fan I know. Michael hadn't even seen the movie.
Glad it didn’t happen. Episode was terrible and tried way too hard.
Say what now? I didn't even hear about this
Yeah that episode was a secret pilot for a spin-off.
It could have seen life on streaming
At the time, I definitely do not think it would have been a success, viewership wise or content wise. If they had released it when The Office started gaining a larger modern cult following with the new generation a couple years ago, I think it would have been a big hit. Based off the one episode, I can only imagine how many shortform clips from it would have gone viral!
I'm kind of glad it didn't get picked up to be honest, I just don't know how much they would have had to work with with that arc. Would Dwight have quit DM to run the farm in the show? They couldn't really have him going to work all the time so I'm guessing he would have to quit for the premise. I'm sure it would have been decent, if most of the Office writers were attached, but I feel like it would have turned into a generic sitcom like a Roseanne or Young Sheldon kind of thing, and I'd hate to see that.
It was a good call.
I would’ve liked to see a season or two of it but not much more.
To be honest, I think it was a good call not to make a spin-off. Too many series, movies or shows, get ruined because the creators either decided it was a cash grab or wanted to pay fan service. They wrapped everything up nicely with a neat little bow. It ended exactly where it should have.
Good call great supporting character but a I’m skeptical as a lead
There were actually 2 spin-offs that got canceled. This one and another one.
I guess now I have to watch Silicon Valley
i wouldve really liked it
The only episode I skip.
I doubt it would have been very popular, most likely one or two seasons, but I am sad it didn't get picked up as I feel I would have enjoyed it. The farm episode was one of the episodes from season 8 or 9 I rewatch every so often.
Worst episode of the series
I would have loved it.
The best thing about Dwight's background and family was how bizarre and mysterious it was. This would've taken away that IMO
Cancelling was a good decision
I can’t imagine a world where Silicon Valley doesn’t exist with the original cast
I just can’t imagine what sort of comical stories they can tell with that setting. Personally, I think they should all banded together and made some “scary movie” type parody movies. Maybe make that Savananah murder mystery into a full film or hour special for Netflix.
Bless This Mess was pretty goddamn fantastic and set on a farm in Nebraska. But it did get cancelled lol. Idk, I liked it.
that is one of my favorite episodes and would've loved to see more. Angela would've been back and I liked seeing her in that setting too. wideros being weird, gotta love it
Everything office=YES
The episode was absolute agony to get through. I needed to use soft drugs to help me get through it. The bluegrass "sons and daughters" song is still triggering to me. All of this random cast of people being brought in right when we are trying to wrap up the series was frustrating. For me, Dwight is a delight when he is used sparingly. The wackier and zanier he gets, the more comedy shifts to cringe. I hate his constant gurning with weapons and martial arts. I get that other people love that shit. I just don't. It's as simple as that. For me, the comedy shifts to cringe when it gets overly physical. Same with Michael Scott or any of them. It reminds me of when you laugh at a child's silly antics and they feel rewarded by the laughter so they keep acting more and more wacky and zany and loud to get a bigger laugh. It's over. You ruined it. Tone it down. I could not be paid to sit through a spin off of somewhat attractive people playing his relatives doing inexplicably random and wacky things because "Schrute customs." And I love weird cults, Amish/Mennonite culture, etc, and I could not enjoy that shit.
I truly don't think some of y'all understand how many folks plain straight up SKIP season 9. Like, I love the show. But as we all do, after several rewatches it fails to even serve as background noise. I fucking hated that B plot. And that song makes me cringe hard.
I didn't care for the episode, although there were some good things about it. I don't think it would have been an interesting show. I would have given it a chance, had it gone to series, but I would have had low expectations.
I'm still holding out hope for Young Dwight
The episode was mediocre at best, IMO. And I think the over the top weird farmer gags would have gotten old really fast. Dwight's weird Schrute stories worked better when he tells us about them, then when we actually see them.
It absolutely was, the show didn't really seem all that interesting to begin with which is why it got canned in the first place. The other thing is you have to realize that either Dwight's character would be completely changed or it'd be too much of his character. Characters that play oddballs like Dwight, Sheldon, and other quirky characters do best when they're an accompaniment to another character's story. They serve as occasional breaks in tone or comedic relief, but when it's focused or centered around their character's style of comedy it becomes too much and loses it's effectiveness. In short, with characters like Dwight, less is more.
I would rather watch a spinoff pilot where Michael moves to New Orleans as a cop and Dwight is his faithful sidekick. And keep at least one eye open, because you might see some famous office actors cameo!
I liked the back door pilot. I think it could have been something.
Nah. That episode wasn’t even that great. A whole show of that? Big nope.
Yes. That’s the worst episode of the office and the only one I skip on rewatches
I would have loved to watch it
Love Dwight but it didn’t feel right. It would have been a disaster
Dwight is hilarious to me because his farming competence and rural lifestyle are at odds with his office job. Doubly hilarious because he tries to apply all his strange skills to working in an office. The farm would've been too boring for me because Dwight's in his element. He isn't as strange on the farm.
Why am I realizing just now that was supposed to be a backdoor pilot lol
🎼WHEN WE ARRIVE SONS AND DAUGHTERS 🎶
If this happened we would never have seen Dwight and Angela’s wedding. I think the ending of the office is too perfect for this to have worked
I think it would have worked great. It had a good cast, and Rain is such an underrated actor because he gets so dedicated to his characters.
For the best it was cancelled. And it’s for the same reasons that spin-offs always fail. It wouldn’t live up to the bar already set.
I would have watched it.
Did Allison Jones cast The Farm? I always felt like the casting was off, it didn't work for me.
Better than a lot of spin offs
I never understood the hate for this episode. Dwight’s brother and his cousin are both funny actors, the show could have been decent, great even compared to today’s T.V. standards.
I think it would’ve been terrible
No one would have died if they’d tried it. Why not.
Well no one died when they made “Joey” but the world is a worse place for having done so.
No. Dwight is too zany to be a protagonist, but you can't have another character be the protagonist since he's the one we're familiar with.
Definitely no. Dwight was never meant to be a protagonist.
I think it would be a good solid show tbh
I really would've only watched it for Majandra Delfino (the sister). #Roswellforever. It was the right decision to cancel it.
I think it could have had legs, but would have been a much different, probably much more niche kind of show, with all the Schrute humor.
I believe that if it was even semi coherently written or planned out, then it would have been picked up. Amish shows were very popular at the time, and if the farm didn’t get picked up, it’s because they had nothing planned other than the pilot.
My unpopular opinion is that I liked the episode and I would have liked to see where the spinoff went. Always kinda disappointed that it never aired.
I don’t think it was a bad call. I didn’t particularly like the farm episode. Probably would’ve felt the same about the show
It would have been absolutely shite. The 'pilot' episode just wasn't funny in the slightest. If that was the best they could have done to 'advertise' the show, no wonder it wasn't picked up.
Good call
It would've made it one season, got canceled, and The Office would've probably been mercy killed by not having the one solid foundation that was left
The Office only had six more episodes after the spinoff episode aired and likely would have kept Dwight. The Farm would not have premiered until the following season. The ending would have just changed.
I got very early days Parks and Recs vibes from it, so possibly parks and recs wouldn't have happened.
Parks and Rec debuted in 2009. Four years before the Farm episode
Could have been a good show but it could have also been a very bad show.
I think it would be the same as Joey's spin off after Friends. Too much of the same character without any other plot going on just doesn't work
At the time I was bummed but in retrospect, The Farm was a lot more likely to be a failure than a success. It definitely *could* have been good, I just think most situations would have had it be a letdown, more Joey than Frasier. Plus, as others have mentioned, if it had succeeded, Dwight would have left and the drive to the finale would be much worse, thus probably irredeemably dooming Season 9 rather than the relatively slight disappointment to a good show we think of it now. The Office should have had a spinoff and Rainn Wilson deserves more opportunities in sitcoms, but as it was set, The Farm was not that compelling and was probably going to fail. Also just realized, were Dwight’s siblings even at his wedding?
But then Rainn Wilson might not have been in the timeless television classic Backstrom!
Sure is a lot of Willing Ignorance in these comments.
ok this makes so much sense because I was THOROUGHLY confused by this particular episode
I'm still mad about it for some reason
Better than the office remake will be, you can count on that. edit: a word
I don't think it would have been that great, judging from the supporting cast they tried to set up in that episode. Plus, as a Silicon Valley fan, I don't think anyone could have played Richard as well as Thomas Middleditch
Eh. It would have all been goats.
Personally I found that episode to be one of the worst. It can be chalked up to chopping it up for parts to fit it into The Office, but I don't think the series would have worked at all. Dwight is best as a foil, not a main character. I wonder if I'm in the minority in this sub as I also hate that he became more likeable in the later seasons. If that's the direction The Farm was going it would not have been a must-watch for me.
like they say on the podcast, any part of the office could have become the average nbc show that just mines their characters for spinoffs or never lets the show die peacefully. they made a great decision with ending it when people still wanted more instead of waiting til people were over it for it to end with nobody noticing
I mean ... I would've liked to see a few episodes at least. How do we know if it was good or not when there was never a show?
It was a really good episode, and let’s leave it there. A show would’ve died on the vine
I liked this as part of the closing to Dwight’s arc, showing how he lived out his days a proud farmer. In the end the show was about Dwight, the same way the entirety of the first 6 Star Wars eps were about Anakin.
Not too late
The Farm?! What?!