The Accountants

What’s up everyone! Thanks for tuning in once again. I know everyone’s schedules are packed with work right now, so I appreciate you all stopping by for a bit.  I must say…I have been looking forward to these last four blog posts for a very long time, because we are now going to be diving into my favorite characters from the show.  So let’s get started, shall we?

This week, we look at the dynamic duo, the male accountants of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch…

*spoilers may appear from this point forward*

Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner) and Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) are arguably the two most opposite characters on the show.  However we often see the two of them together, as they become best friends.  This is because they both love to poke fun at Angela, who sits across from them.  Let’s begin with Oscar.

Oscar is the “know it all” in the office.  In fact, he is known around the office as “Actually” because he loved to butt in to everyone’s conversations and correct them.  Oscar always has to be right, which causes him to get in to trouble.  For example, when Dwight sets up a device that will get everyone fired for making three mistakes, Oscar claims he doesn’t need to use a calculator.  However, he ends up making a mistake, causing him to be made fun of but also to be yelled at by his coworkers who think they’ll be fired by the end of the day.  Yet for the remainder of the show, his coworkers love to see him fail. This is especially when he is bested by those who shouldn’t be able to best him. Scenes like this are why Oscar is so important to the show – in many episodes, he somehow drives the plot forward.  While Jim and Pam are away, Oscar is the only “sane” one left, causing him to take a larger leadership role than he is comfortable with.  More importantly, though, is his role in Season 9…

Put bluntly, Oscar is known more for being gay.  Almost as soon as he comes out, he is poked fun at, especially by Michael.  This causes Michael to apologize the only way he knows how.   Oscar finds himself in multiple other uncomfortable situations that involve his sexuality. To start, Michael asks Oscar about how a colonoscopy feels in terms of pleasure, causing Oscar to leave.  Then, Michael accuses Oscar of giving him herpes.  In Season 9, Angela dates and marries The Senator, Robert Lipton.  However, Oscar realizes right away that Robert is gay. He then takes matters into his own hands, and eventually, they have an affair.  Angela then finds out, causing lots of tension between the three of them until eventually Robert leaves both of them for another man.  This plot line specifically was vital to The Office because once Michael left, the show had its down moments.  Oscar’s character provided the audience many laughs, moving the plot forward through the final seasons.

With all that said, Oscar will always offer a helping hand. Yes, he at times is very condescending and judgmental, especially when he determines that the people around him are doing something wrong.  However, he puts those around him before himself…he even raises a child with Angela while Angela looks for a new place to live in Season 9.

Then there is Kevin.  Kevin is not only my favorite character (besides Creed), but he too is a food fanatic.  But let’s talk business first.  Kevin is, well, not very good at his job… or any job for that matter.  Michael claims that Kevin applied for the warehouse but he hired him anyway.  Kevin is not meant to count – the only time he is proven to not mess up is when he replaces whatever quantity he is working with with pies (See Season 9 Episode 4, “Work Bus”).  Kevin often makes terrible decisions and ideas, and thus is not taken very seriously by his coworkers.  Yet, Kevin does contribute a good sense of humor, smelly feet, and a massive heart.

Speaking of massive, Kevin has a huge sweet tooth for M&M’s…and pretty much anything else he can eat… but NOT vegetables.  Don’t even try it.  Just like his coworkers love to tease Oscar for being gay, they equally love making fat jokes.  For example, Oscar makes a very creative video of Kevin speaking over a video of Cookie Monster, which everyone agrees is a perfect representation.  Here is where I’ll throw in my interesting factoid: pay attention to Kevin’s voice throughout the show. It changes about halfway through Season 3 from a very quiet tone (which is the one he auditioned with), to one that resembles a baby and/or Cookie Monster.  I cannot figure out exactly why, but there is a very distinct change.

Kevin’s love for food creates many great scenes in The Office. He takes his dieting very seriously.  When Pam is pregnant, Kevin cooks her four to five meals during work since they are on the same “schedule,” and they almost always have a different theme.  Kevin loves food so much that he actually creates a video cookbook for those who want to try some of his delicious meals.  When it comes to meals, Kevin is most famously known for his chili.  Even still, just like Oscar gets himself into trouble with his mouth, Kevin also has a tendency to do the same due to his passion for food. In fact, while everyone tries to find a way out during Dwight’s fire drill, Kevin goes to the vending machine to steal snacks.  Although he does have his priorities in line in his mind, if it was a real fire, he would be in for some serious trouble.

Oscar and Kevin both have a very, very unique trait to them. Without them, The Office would lost a good chunk of its side plots, especially as the show progresses.  That is why so many people love the both of them, and that is why they are so vital to the show.

Thanks for reading! I hope to see you all again for my next post.

Oh! Also, I found this really cool three-video segment on YouTube about the accountants. I had never seen it before but I thought it would be worth sharing.