Has Tonight's episode of NBC's smash hit The Office begun a story arc that will encompass the rest of the season and into the next.? Now that they jumped the shark at the end of season 3, I was really wonder what they were going to do with the show..

Last season, everyone finally got what they wanted when after 3 season of tickling our assholes, Jim finally made a move to date Pam. This story arc really began in Season 2 when Jim's feelings surfaced episode after episode of awkwardness. At the end Season 2, he finally told her about his love before she married Roy.

Jim saw this as his last opportunity to profess his feelings before taking a job in New York to get away from these feelings. Season 3 began rather awkward focusing on Jim in the New York and the regular cast back in the Scranton branch. Pam had called off the wedding and began searching for what she wanted. While at the New York branch, Jim started dating fellow co-worker Karen..

Eventually these two branches became one and bits of drama began to ensue.. Now that Pam was free, it took all season for Jim to realize what he wanted was there, and that Karen was out of desperation.

6 weeks in, Karen has come back into the show and we find that she's a general manager of her own branch of Dunder Miflin.

There are two points of business at work for this show.. There really is no overall story anymore with Jim and Pam together. They tried to do something with Dwight and Angela, but their characters are as captivating as Jim and Pam. The same with Michael and Jan. These romances are more comical than real.. they have their moments, but not enough to carry the show.

At the same time, NBC's Thursday night line-up has a flat-tire at 8.30pm. Scrubs is a funny show, but once you've seen a bunch of episodes, you've seen it all. Except for story elements, you could watch a new episode and swear you've seen it before.. Scrubs will end in May 2008, so what the hell are they going to do to replace it?

News Article: NBC developing The Office 2

It looks like The Office will be trailing The Office next fall in place of the Scrubs time slot..

With tonight's episode with Karen managing the Uttica branch of Dunder Miflin.. Is this the beginning of The Office 2? Will this season start to tear apart itself after season 3 began stitching the cast back together at Scranton?

This doesn't sound like a particularly great idea.. The Office really works because of its great cast.. finding another cast as balanced and hilarious will not be easy.. I think it would have a LONG way to go without feeling like a complete ripoff.