"Basically anything that is awesome." - A Periodic Style Tribute to Kelly Kapoor

At long, long last, after months of waiting, The Office is finally back on TV starting tomorrow night.

However, I'm of the (admittedly, unpopular) opinion that I'm totally bored and done with Jim and Pam, especially after season three, where Pam learned to grow up and Jim... didn't. (When everyone was picking sides between Team Pam and Team Karen, my side was "Team JIM DOESN'T DESERVE EITHER OF THEM".) But I will tell you whose side I'm firmly on: TEAM KELLY.

That's right: I am sticking my flag in the sand at the Beach Games. I would much rather hang out with, get to know, and be BFF with Kelly Kapoor than anyone else on "The Office".

Kelly started out mysteriously on "The Office", as the customer service rep who only made brief appearances to play off of Michael's prejudices, most notably in "Diversity Day" and "The Dundies" -- it wasn't until the middle of the second season that she really started to become this bubbly, girly (and AWESOME) character.

And so some fans wonder what, exactly, happened with Kelly that can't be explained by "Mindy Kaling is awesome and we need to build up Kelly more". My feeling on the subject is that when we first meet Kelly, she's in that "new employee" mode -- dress conservatively, keep to yourself, be on your best behavior. (Heck, even the fact that camera crews are around would be enough to make me be on my best behavior!) But as she got used to the job, used to the camera crews, and used to the regular bouts of absolute INSANITY in Dunder-Mifflin, she let her hair down (literally) and opened up.

Kelly is the friend that you can trade celebrity gossip with, who will tell you you look cute even if she is a little apprenhensive about it, who will take you on double-dates and introduce you to online shopping, then encourage you to have a fashion show at lunch. And she won't judge you if you have guilty-pleasure pop songs on your iPod -- she fully enjoys them, no guilt. And even if she may be a little boy-crazy (which, uh, may be the understatement of the year), her woes with Ryan and Darrell would still be more entertaining than listening to either Angela confessing in secret code while simultaneously plotting your downfall or Pam moping over Roy or Jim (even though Pam is no longer moping, but).

Plus, it goes without saying that Mindy Kaling herself is incredibly smart, brilliant, and fun and I wish she was my friend, even as she wishes that Katherine Heigl was hers.

So here's to you, Kelly Kapoor! Let's go get pedicures and drink Seven and Sevens with eight maraschino cherries each, sugar on the rim, and blended if possible. I'm looking forward to having you back in my house on Thursday nights, because I missed you, girl!

images from such-a-dork.com