'Return to Office' streams on Hallmark Plus

Category: Television and Streaming

With shades of You’ve Got Mail, Return to Office focuses on communication in today’s world.

Janel Parrish and Scott Michael Foster star in this story of office workers who have been working remotely from their homes but are now required to work in their brick and mortar office. The problem is, there is not enough space in the office so everyone shares their workspaces with scattered work dates.

Liv (Parish) is assigned Mondays and Wednesdays and Tom (Foster) is assigned Tuesdays and Thursdays. They get to work from home on Fridays. Liv is a neat-freak but Tom is more easy-going. Even though the staff has seen each other via Internet meetings throughout their time working remotely, no one knows who their desk partner is. So when Liv puts her plant on the desk and writes a note for her workspace partner asking if it is ok for her to leave it there, she has no idea what is to come.

Tom comes in the following day and decides to decorate a little for himself. He leaves a note for Ms. Monday as he calls her, acknowledging that he has left some of his items too. Liv is incensed with what is left on her desk and takes away everything, noting that her workspace partner went too far.

Well, they get things settled and are off to a great start in their “relationship” that consists of leaving each other cute notes each day. 

On her time off, Liv volunteers at a retirement community which happens to be where Tom’s mother resides. She wants to set Liv up with her son but Liv won’t allow it. Then one day she learns that Tom is the man who is her workspace partner and the man with whom she was to be set up.

Liv knows that Tom is the man with whom she is having the note relationship and when they all get together for business parties and to share ideas, Tom is unaware Liv is Ms. Monday. This could be awkward but the two are good together and get along very well. 

Tom is captivated by Ms. Monday and wants to meet her, unaware he already knows her.  Liv is a bit apprehensive about uncovering her true identity to him since they continue to have projects to work on in person. Could revealing herself change their relationship?

But, as in You’ve Got Mail, things unravel and identities are uncovered. And yes, they both are happy about finally having a real relationship in person rather than simply  note to note.

Although this is basically a redo of other stories, this is still a cute movie and a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Back to Office just started streaming on Hallmark+. 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.