The Office 5 Times Robert California Was A Genius (& 5 Times He Was A Fool)

The Office: 5 Times Robert California Was A Genius (& 5 Times He Was A Fool)

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NBC’s The Office had a few polarizing characters, but perhaps none as much as Robert California, who was both a genius and a fool. Here’s proof.

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The Office 5 Times Robert California Was A Genius (& 5 Times He Was A Fool)

Robert California changed the face of The Office, giving them a character just as memorable as Michael Scott, just not destined to be as long-tenured. Still, in his one season in charge of Dunder Mifflin, California gave fans so many unforgettable moments, from his proud declaration of being “the effing Lizard King” to his intense conversations with employees.

But through it all, he was a very consistent character in his inconsistencies. He was unhinged, unpredictable, and that gave way to a brilliant character that was sometimes a genius and sometimes a downright fool. Here are five specific times he was each.

10 Genius: Making Andy Boss

The Office 5 Times Robert California Was A Genius (& 5 Times He Was A Fool)

It didn’t seem like a genius move at the time. Not when there were so many other candidates that could have flourished at the job. Andy was incredibly unspectacular, but that’s exactly why Robert California picked him, specifically because he’s an underdog that inspires the unexceptional in the other employees in the office.

He wasn’t wrong. And while everything went awry in the final season, for all the good parts of Andy Bernard’s managerial career, this was truly a genius decision by Robert California.

9 Fool: Not Stopping Nellie

The Office 5 Times Robert California Was A Genius (& 5 Times He Was A Fool)

Perhaps it’s bitterness at how awful a character Nellie was when she first arrived in Scranton, but when she took Andy’s job, he was still an effective manager, a sympathetic character, and easily redeemable. Nellie was brash, annoying, and unfit to be the manager.

If Robert would have been smart and nipped this in the bud before it could blossom, the show might not have seen Andy deteriorate into a hated character. But it also would have kept more cohesion in the office, rather than the mess that came from Andy losing his job.

8 Genius: Goodbye, Jo

The Office 5 Times Robert California Was A Genius (& 5 Times He Was A Fool)

When Robert California is chosen as the manager of Dunder Mifflin by the search committee, he promptly drives down to Florida and talks CEO Jo Bennet out of her own job. When Jim delivers this news, he has to say it again. Robert talked Jo out of her own job. That is something else.

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It is the work of someone who isn’t just charismatic and persuasive, but also a genius. Also, to be a fly on the wall in that conversation would be some excellent listening.

7 Fool: Physical Fitness

The Office 5 Times Robert California Was A Genius (& 5 Times He Was A Fool)

Robert California is all about efficiency and getting things done as effectively as possible with as little time wasted as he can. So when Dwight comes to his apartment in Florida and finds him wrestling Stu, what Robert California says makes sense: “I could go to the gym three times a week, or I could wrestle Stu once a month,” he says.

Great idea, if that’s how it actually worked. But it so obviously doesn’t and this stands as one of the most obvious times that Robert California was just completely ill-informed.

6 Genius: Motivation

The Office 5 Times Robert California Was A Genius (& 5 Times He Was A Fool)

Robert California is a polarizing figure that many employees at Dunder Mifflin struggle to truly comprehend. But no matter what he does or doesn’t do, they can’t deny how good he is at motivating them and keeping spirits high around the office. Consider how he pinpoints employees for intense one-on-one conversations. That’s a strong managerial principle, even if he’s kind of creepy about it.

The best example is at the Garden Party, when he deflects all praise (and all toasts) from himself to his employees, giving them all the credit they deserve for their hard work. Now that’s how you lead!

5 Fool: Sabre Realty

The Office 5 Times Robert California Was A Genius (& 5 Times He Was A Fool)

This is one part of The Office that always gets a bit muddled. Given how smart Robert California clearly is, he still goes ahead with this venture, knowing that he is going to fire the person in charge and shut it down before it can even get started.

But by putting Dwight in charge, he thus sets him up to be fired right from the start, despite clearly having respect for Dwight and his leadership intensity. It was foolish to set Dwight up like this and would have cost Dunder Mifflin dearly, if not for Jim’s intervention.

4 Genius: Assessing Elmo

The Office 5 Times Robert California Was A Genius (& 5 Times He Was A Fool)

In one of his most iconic moments, Robert California asks Jim what his daughter thinks of “The Street.” Jim is confused, but when Robert clarifies and learns that Cici loves Elmo, Robert takes it as an opportunity to relate Elmo to society as a whole: “The complete self-absorption of Elmo is brilliantly reflective of our time. Ours is a cultural ghetto. Wouldn’t you agree?”

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Jim, Oscar, and Darryl, three of the smartest people in the office, all simply nod and agree with him. They are outmatched and outsmarted. Robert is truly a genius.

3 Fool: Bringing His Wife To Work

The Office 5 Times Robert California Was A Genius (& 5 Times He Was A Fool)

It’s still not entirely clear what Robert California was going for the day that he brought his wife to get a job at Dunder Mifflin, despite not wanting to give her a job. It may have been a way to push his wife towards divorce, it might have been a way to appease her without going all the way, but in the end, all it did was antagonize everyone involved.

Nothing was accomplished and it could have been avoided if he’d just told her there were no jobs available. Even if she pressed him, he is not a man who has trouble saying no.

2 Genius: The Oreo

The Office 5 Times Robert California Was A Genius (& 5 Times He Was A Fool)

Sometimes, a truly genius observation can come from the simplest of statements. Such is the case in one of Robert’s most intelligent assessments. Sure, he pegged the Black-Eyed Peas and he pegged Elmo, but when he brings Dwight and Gabe a plate of Oreos and declares that they never really have improved on the Oreo, he was more right than any character has ever been right before.

He was a genius in the truest sense and no one could argue with him. It might feel underwhelming, but this may well be his crowning intellectual achievement.

1 Fool: Thinking Kevin Knew What He Was Talking About

When Andy takes the office to Gettysburg, Robert is left with a half-cast of characters to have his brain-storming session with. Through it all, he ends up finding an ‘intellectual equal’ with Kevin, who’s vending machine idea sparks Robert’s mind. He then proceeds to have discussions with Kevin, all the while thinking that Kevin actually knew it was talking about.

It took Ryan and the Big Mac idea to make Robert see that this whole time, he had been duped by arguably the dumbest character of the bunch — Kevin Malone.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/the-office-times-robert-california-was-genius-fool/

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