Steve Carell’s Exit Didn’t Ruin The Office, But This Other Cast Change Almost Did

Although The Office suffered after the early exit of Steve Carell’s inimitable Michael Scott, it was another change to the show’s cast that nearly doomed the series. The Office’s entire cast of characters was lovable, and the show would not have worked if it weren’t for everyone from Mindy Kaling’s Kelly to Creed Bratton’s Creed. However, there is no denying the fact that Steve Carell’s Michael Scott was central to the show’s success. Like later mockumentary workplace sitcoms Parks and Recreation and Abbott Elementary, The Office needed a boss who was equal parts hilarious and incompetent.

In one of its biggest changes from the UK version of The Office, the US show made Michael a more sweet, naive character as the show continued. Although he was self-centered, thoughtless, and clueless, Michael could also be surprisingly kind-hearted in his own hapless way. Carell managed to find the right balance between sympathetic vulnerability and almost unwatchable levels of cringe, so it was no surprise that The Office struggled when he left. However, it wasn’t Carell’s exit from The Office that ruined the show’s tone.

Andy Bernard’s Drastic Change Almost Ruined The Office’s Final Season

Andy Returned From His Travels A Different—And Markedly Worse—Person

Michael Scott left The Office at the end of season 7, and the following two seasons saw the show struggle to replace him. James Spader’s Robert California was one of The Office’s attempted replacements, as was Catherine Tate’s Nellie Bertram. However, it was Ed Helms’ Andy Bernard who became the office’s manager at the end of season 8, taking over the role from Nellie after finally getting David Wallace to return as Dunder Mifflin’s CEO.

This setup seemed to guarantee the success of The Office season 9. Like Michael, Andy had emerged as an unlikely antihero since his first appearance back in season 3. Andy’s slow-burn romance with Erin was almost as sweet as Jim and Pam’s love story, and his balance of clueless self-involvement and moments of sweetness made him a natural successor for Michael. Unfortunately, Andy could only appear for half of season 9 because Helms was filming The Hangover 3.

As a result, Andy was sent on a sailing trip to the Bahamas with his brother Walter that lasted from episode 6, “The Boat,” until episode 15, “Couples Discount.” In the time he spent traveling, Andy seemingly undid years of character development off-screen. When he returned, Andy seemed like a completely different character, as arrogant and thoughtless as he was before his years in Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton Branch. Andy’s character development was hard-won but easily lost, and this change derailed The Office season 9.

Why Ed Helms’s Andy Was So Different In The Office After Season 9

Andy’s Character Growth Was Seemingly Reversed By His Solo Travels

When Andy was introduced in season 4, he was a pretentious blowhard who constantly tried to goad Jim into childish competitions. His transparent insecurity eventually made him more likable as Dwight and Angela’s The Office romance unfolded and he was unknowingly caught in the middle. By the time Dwight and Angela’s affair ended in season 5’s finale, Andy had become unexpectedly sympathetic. The Office capitalized on this by introducing Erin, the receptionist Andy fell for in season 6.

It took Erin and Andy three seasons to get together, as Erin dated Gabe, Andy dated Jessica, and the two constantly missed each other’s obvious signals. However, by the end of season 8, Andy had gained the manager role and reunited with Erin, meaning he was finally happy both professionally and personally. This is why it was so strange and unpleasant when he returned to his pre-season 5 characterization upon coming back from his boating trip. To make matters worse, The Office never explained why Andy’s personality reverted so dramatically.

Andy’s Story In The Final Two Seasons Is Still The Office’s Biggest Missed Opportunity

The Office Squandered An Obvious Replacement For Steve Carell’s Michael Scott

As a cringe-worthy but ultimately well-meaning character, Andy was the perfect replacement for Michael at the beginning of The Office season 8. The fact that Helms wasn’t available throughout all of season 9’s shooting was unfortunate, but the decision to make Andy an unpleasant, unlikable character all over again was a massive unforced error. Andy’s sailing trip didn’t need to involve him neglecting his relationship with Erin, and his decision to pursue a singing career instead of focusing on Dunder Mifflin upon his return was bizarrely misguided.

Much like The Office season 9’s infamous Brian the Camera Guy plot, this twist seemed designed to subvert viewer expectations. Anyone anticipating a sentimental happy ending for Andy like Michael’s sendoff would be sorely disappointed. The problem was that the rest of The Office’s season 9 ending was unabashedly sunny, sentimental, and optimistic, so Andy’s tragic character devolution and inexplicable reversion to his unhappy old self felt jarring and discordant amid all the wholesome goodbyes and happy memories.