Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Space Force.
After a first season that seemed like it didn’t know what it wanted to be, Space Force returned for season 2 with storylines much more similar to The Office. Even though the new season of Space Force only had 7 episodes instead of 10 like the previous one, the show produced by Greg Daniels and Steve Carell had enough time to pick up things from where season 1 ended, develop new storylines, and set up on the all-new cliffhanger at the end. While the jury is still out for season 2 of Space Force, it's clear that the show has been much more well-received this time than in its first season.
When it was first announced, Space Force seemed like it would be a spiritual successor to The Office. All the elements to support that belief were there: Daniels and Carell would once again team up, the show would take place in a work environment, and actor Steve Carell would once again play the boss. Such expectations were betrayed by Space Force season 1, which ultimately didn't resemble The Office that much.
The poor reception of Space Force’s season 1 by both critics and viewers did not come without costs. In addition to the cut in the number of episodes, the show had a clear budget reduction and had to move its production from Los Angeles to Vancouver. As a result, some characters and entire plot lines such as Kelly's were left out of Space Force. While Space Force has lost some of its production value, the show ended up benefiting from those major changes in other aspects. Viewers may have noticed that Space Force's season 2 was much closer to a classic comedy, more specifically to The Office.
Greg Daniels Wanted Space Force Season 2 To Be More Like The Office
Shortly before the premiere of Space Force's shortened season 2, creator Greg Daniels had revealed that the show would now be much more like The Office than it had been in its first year. During Space Force season 1, both Daniels and Steve Carell had made a conscious decision not to make their new show too much like The Office and instead went for a more cinematic approach to the project. While it was a brave and even understandable choice, stepping away from the identity of the show in which both the producer and the actor did so well wasn't the best of decisions, and Daniels admitted that when doing a course correction in Space Force season 2.
In the same interview, Daniels explained a lot about the technical aspects that made him change his mind and go for an approach more similar to the one found in the nine seasons of The Office. According to the producer, when trying to use cinematic language in a production, spontaneity and the possibility of improvisation among the actors are often lost. Just the process of lighting for a different take is time-consuming enough to prevent an actor from having an organic response to something their co-star did on the scene. For a comedy show, that trade-off is not so worth it. It’s important that both Daniels and Carell identified that issue in the series soon enough and worked to resolve it, either it happened through their own perception of their work or external feedback.
How Space Force Season 2 Incorporated Aspects Of The Office
The technical aspects that Daniels had mentioned can definitely be perceived from beginning to end of Space Force season 2. The cinematic look gave way to more simplistic photography, and the actors' performances felt far less dull and scripted. Season 1's many locations also gave way to just a few sets only, and nearly the entirety of season 2 happened inside the base. Much like The Office, the vending machine and the cafeteria became a meeting point for the characters and the place of birth of many jokes and storylines.
In addition to the technical changes, there was a clear different approach to the writing of Space Force. The subtler humor of season 1 gave way to more improvisation and one-liners, and many absurd situations similar to those of The Office made their way into Space Force. The pranking showdown started by Dr. Mallory, for example, recalls the classic dynamic between Jim and Dwight and provides a much-needed breath of fresh air for both the characters in Space Force season 2 and the series as a whole. Some themes such as the cut of funds and employees deciding whether to leave the team also recalled some famous storylines from The Office. Even the smaller cast, something that can be attributed to the reduced budget of the show, helped Space Force to lean towards a more workplace comedy feeling.
Why Being More Like The Office Helped Space Force Season 2
While Space Force season 1 struggled to find its identity — sometimes trying to be a classic comedy, sometimes a satire, and sometimes even a drama — season 2 felt like it knew exactly what it wanted to be. Choosing a specific approach, whichever it was, was exactly what Space Force needed, and it is even better news that the choice was for something closer to The Office. Given the impact The Office still has years after its ending, it would be a mistake not to make the most of another collaboration between Daniels and Carell and bring at least some of that show’s energy into Space Force.
The decision to be more like The Office also helped the characters in Space Force to have more time to shine. The show's solid cast had done a great job in the first season, but there was always a feeling that they could be given more to work with. Even characters who were once more restricted to the drama side of Space Force such as Erin had more opportunities to contribute to the show's humor.
Being more like The Office has helped season 2 of Space Force with its overall reception. The Rotten Tomatoes score, for example, went up from 39% in season 1 to 88% in season 2. Should Space Force season 3 happen, this different tone that Greg Daniels and Steve Carell have found for the production will most likely become the new norm for the show.