How Do You Solve a Problem Like “EdHelms”a?

Earlier this season on The Office, after Jim had transferred to the Stanford offices of Dunder-Mifflin, he began working with an individual named Andy, played by former “Daily Show” correspondent Ed Helms. He was brash, somewhat ridiculous, and referred to Jim as “Big Tuna” at all times. Jim’s first attempt at pranking him, putting his stapler into Jello, was met with a violent trash can kicking. Since we all knew that Jim would eventually be headed back to Scranton, we all thought that perhaps Andy was short-lived as well.

We were wrong, and rightly so; the character began to gain traction, becoming less of a novelty and more of a foil, and quite a powerful one. Transferred to Scranton at the midpoint of the season, he proved a valuable comedic asset for the show. He feuded with Dwight over Michael’s affections, he made sexual passes at all of the women in the office, and he did everything in his power to suck up to whoever he had to suck up to. This particular story arc to Andy hit a fantastic peak as Jim decides that Andy should go after Pam, feeding him everything she hates as her most passionate likes, and then watching as the madness ensues.

The result of all of this was one of my favourite moments in the Office this season. Maybe it was just that the episode was written by Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais, executive producers of the UK version of the Office, but his character just clicked in this episode. This could not have been more evident than when, at the episode’s conclusion, Andy got out his banjo and did a falsetto, pig latin version of “The Rainbow Connection.” The character was sweet, charming, and not some sort of dangerous madman at this point.

The problem was that Dwight was also there, and Ed Helms as a guest star was playing second fiddle. They couldn’t have two Dwights, so they had to do something to make Andy a different type of nuisance. This, done slowly over a few episodes, was incredibly damaging to his character. He went from decent worker to someone who is absolutely terrible at selling things. He became a thorn in Michael’s side to a degree Dwight never reaches. He viciously badmouthed Dwight, trying to get him fired in a way that didn’t seem petty, but rather vindictive. Then, returning to his original introduction to the show, a workplace prank resulted in Andy punching a hole through the wall.

Now, this week was Andy free, which may have confused some. However, the Producer’s Cut of last week’s episode showed Andy being ordered into Anger Management courses. However, the Office environment just seemed more natural without him. If I hadn’t been reading the internet earlier that day, I would have wondered where exactly Andy was, and maybe thought he was gone for good.

Instead, it appears that he is here to stay. It was announced yesterday that for the remainder of the season, Ed Helms will be a regular on The Office. I like this news, on the surface. I like Ed Helms, and I enjoy seeing Daily Show correspondents move onto big things. But, I worry, because they’ve written themselves into a corner with Andy. And therefore, they have to ask themselves: How do they solve a problem like “Ed Helms”a?

The reality is that he’s been sold thus far as a less compliant Dwight, more angry than odd. My guess would be that they will be using anger management as a way to suggest a character change, but how drastic can that be? And even then, he needs to find another male role in the dynamic of the show. Michael’s…Michael, Dwight has suck-up and victim of pranks covered, so there needs to be another place for him to fit in. Stanley’s the one who hates his job, Ryan’s the Temp (In name only), Kevin’s the creepy pervert, Creed is the just plain bizarre guy, and Jim is the normal one…there just isn’t another readymade spot.

So, what stereotype are they missing in this scenario? If he were to come back a changed man, what role should he play? I think it’s telling that they decided to add him to the cast full time, and not Rashida Jones (Karen). Karen’s there as a plot device, meant to keep Jim and Pam apart. However, although perhaps introduced as a plot device, the writers see more potential for his character as a regular staple of the show.

And, my suggestion to them is to head back to this pivotal moment, the aforementioned Rainbow Connection, and try to capture this type of humanity along with its faults. If they can keep him human, keep him grounded, they can develop a character that can sustain itself within this environment. With still a fair deal of the season ahead of them let’s see how they bring Andy back into the fold. Until that point, let us bask in the wonder of his banjo skills.