I accidentally saw some episodes of the office. Michael Scott and Dwight are more reactionary than I originally remembered. Just small details, but also the character’s personalities.
I just get a lot of vibes like, the writers thought “History has ended” but seeing this stuff later in life I know for a fact history comes back for season 2.
I’ve noticed things and gotten the vibe from other old TV shows, too.
Men in Black, at least, was directly playing in to the Men in Black mythology that inspired the story; Faceless government agents in ill fitting suits doing spooky stuff. Like that’s not the subtext that is the text.