Ever since the demise of the Michael Scott Paper Company, The Office has been sitting in neutral, neither going forward with any large arc, (to me, Sabre doesn't qualify) nor regressing too much. It's still funny, but most episode aren't essential and people can easily pick up what's going on if they miss a few episodes in a row.
With "Nepotism," it's hard to be excited for anything. Unlike last season's premiere, "Gossip," which at least had Pam's pregnancy, "Nepotism" has nothing to indicate anything beyond the usual office life. We know it's Steve Carell's final season, but it sure doesn't feel like it.
The main plot is one where Michael acts like a total fool before coming to his senses, spanking his nephew Luke for being a horrible employee. The subplot is a bit of fun with Pam and Jim fooling around with Dwight before Pam gets stuck in an elevator with Dwight after switching the elevator buttons.
Both plots were solid, and I'd be hard pressed to find anything I didn't like. Except this is a season premiere and "Nepotism" fits in somewhere in the middle of the season, but I guess this is the present and future of The Office.
Score: 8.7/10
