Bryan Cranston took the helm of director for one episode of The Office during the sitcom's ninth and final season. The episode, which garnered positive reviews, is memorable due to its unique setting. Cranston, best known for his acting career, had never appeared on the series that ran from 2005 to 2013, so it may come as a surprise to fans that he was directly involved with an episode.
Cranston has had a prolific acting career in TV and film, but he's best recognized for his award-winning role as Walter White in Breaking Bad. Before that, the actor spent over half of a decade playing the patriarch Hal on Malcolm in the Middle. What many viewers don't know is that Cranston also has directing experience. His first directing gig came in 1999 with the drama film Last Chance. After that, Cranston ended up directing episodes of Malcolm in the Middle, Modern Family, and Breaking Bad.
The Office season 9, episode 4, "Work Bus" was directed by Cranston. It was written by Brent Forrester and made its debut on October 18, 2012. The episode followed the Dunder Mifflin employees doing their daily work aboard a giant bus. Dwight was the landlord and neglected his responsibilities, so Jim tried to convince him the building was unsafe in the hope they would close down and get a week off from work. Instead, Dwight rented an oversized bus for them to work in, but it ended up becoming an office on wheels as they journeyed to a nearby pie stand.
Considering Cranston had no previous connection to The Office, it may have seemed odd that he was hired to direct an episode. Conversely, the series had a habit of hiring guest directors as it became more popular. Aside from Cranston, the notable names that directed episodes of the series included J.J. Abrams, Marc Webb, Harold Ramis, Jason Reitman, Joss Whedon, and Jon Favreau. Cranston was an obvious choice based on his popularity at the time. When "Work Bus" aired, Breaking Bad was a bonafide hit, so Cranston's name attached to anything was an instant element of appeal.
Even though "Work Bus" stood out because of the face behind the camera, the episode itself deserved praise. Some viewers have concluded that The Office seasons 8 and 9 are two of the show's weakest since they were set in the post-Michael Scott era. On the other hand, those later seasons have a lot of bright spots, specifically season 9. It was an amusing change of pace for the characters to interact in a confined bus while on a wild mission for pie. The episode also featured hilarious interactions between Jim and Dwight, something that fans could never get enough of.
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