'The Office' bids appropriate farewell to Steve Carell, Michael Scott
The opportunities for tears were myriad. Did you cry?
Steve Carell of 'The Office'
Credit: NBC
It's not that I'm not a fan of "The Office," but it's not a show I write about regularly or even semi-regularly. That's Sepinwall's terrain. After all, he doesn't go and write about... I dunno... "The Vampire Diaries." That's all me, baby.
But Alan's off the grid and Thursday (April 28) night happened to be a pretty momentous evening for "The Office," what with the departure of Steve Carell's Michael Scott, an event that was four or five episodes (or 150) in the making.
So I'll do the best I can to set thing up, because I'm betting people have opinions on the 52-minute emotional extravaganza. Sepinwall'll surely write something when he's back.
A review of tonight's "The Office" coming up just as soon as I figure out the name of the town I'm moving to in Colorado... [That was fun!]
"They say on your deathbed, you never wish you spent more time at the office. But I will."
Those weren't quite Michael Scott's last words on "The Office," but part of me wishes they had been his very final sentiment.
A lot of the people who worked at Dunder Mifflin have had interesting lives outside of the office, whether they've fallen in love, operated a beet farm or done the myriad things done by Creed Bratton. But for Michael Scott, the office was everything. His romantic pursuits fizzled. His movie took a long time to complete. And if he had friends without any connection to the paper company, we rarely (if ever?) saw them.
"The people that you work with are just, when you get down to it, your very best friends," he said on Thursday's episode.
You can question Michael's aptitude at his job or his success at interacting with his co-workers on the level of their choosing, but you can't ever question his commitment. In Amy Ryan's Holly, though, Michael found somebody and something real, a new best friend. He found something that was even more important to him than the place and the people that previously meant absolutely everything.
Thursday's episode wasn't flawless, but it was an appropriate disentanglement, as Michael put together a list of the people he needed to say good-bye to and he aimed to have moments with everybody, all with a Michael-esque catch: He planned on leaving on day earlier than announced, one day before his actual good-bye party, set up by a super-team of former heads of the party committee.
We could stop to wonder if the Michael Scott we knew would miss the opportunity to have a day dedicated entirely to him, but that might force us to recognize that the Michael Scott who left Dunder Mifflin on Thursday was a changed man. He has, if nothing else, found an outlet for his insecurities, which is a pretty romantic notion.
"I can't do this. All the channels are gonna be different there," Michael said, in a classic Michael Scott freak-out. "I'm not gonna be able to find my shows. And I'm not going to start improv at Level One. I don't think my credits are going to transfer. And you know what? I just figured out where I was supposed to go to vote."
But Holly's voice was enough to calm him.
Awwww...
The episode was full of "Awww" moments:
*** Things got off with a good start with Michael disarming Dwight's outrage at not getting a recommendation for the manager job (after Dwight served Michael some fresh bull's testicles) by asking his advice on the best way to ward off black bears. It turns out that keeping salami in your pocket is a bad idea. But Rainn Wilson got to have a terrific moment reading the actual recommendation Michael wrote, going from sarcastic to touched, before uncovering a note to meet in the parking lot for paintball. Michael crossing Dwight's name off his list with paint in his hair was aces.
*** We've seen Michael serve as a father figure to Ellie Kemper's Erin a couple times this season, always effectively. Tonight, Erin sought advice about her love triangle with [an increasingly psychotic] Gabe and Andy, lamenting the lack of a mother to give her the right answer. "You don't need a mom, because you have my number and you can call me any time," Michael responded. "Extension 147," agreed Erin. I loved that extension both because it showed how much the characters meant to each other, but also because it was Erin, usually verging on "simple," making a joke intended to reassure Michael that she'd be OK. It's maybe the most capable we've ever seen her.
*** John Krasinski got me. I hadn't gotten teary until Jim came in to talk to Michael, Jim the only person to realize that Michael was planning on leaving without really saying good-bye. "It's just that sometimes, good-byes are a bitch," agreed Jim, red-eyed. Knowing the meal wouldn't happen, they agreed to have lunch the next day, with Jim saying, "And then tomorrow... I can tell you what a good boss you turned out to be. Best boss I ever had." Awww. If we think rationally, would we really believe Jim's sincerity here? I dunno. Krasinski sold it. Totally. This will be Krasinski's Emmy reel. And it goes without re-mentioning that you could isolate any episode from the last month and it ought to earn Carell his first acting Emmy. This episode will probably be his showcase, though he may have done better work at the end of the proposal episode. Great work either way.
*** And speaking of things we might not necessarily buy if we think of them rationally, do we think Pam bought a plane ticket just so that she could get through security to see Michael off at the gate at the airport? Well, she'd probably have to have, but... Who cares! Michael was so sad about not getting to check Pam off his list. And I loved how Pam and Michael got to say their good-byes without audio (more on that in a couple). So many of Pam's best scenes over the years -- the proposal, telling Jim she was pregnant, etc -- have been audio-free. This was appropriate.
*** Catch you on the flippity-flip. Nuf said.
*** Toby has a brother named Rory who lives in Boulder! Why do I think he and Michael wouldn't get along?
*** I liked, but didn't love, Michael going around giving out gifts like the Wizard of Oz. The chattering teeth to Phyllis? OK. The shredded caricature to Kevin, along with the pep talk? OK. I did like the capper of calling Oscar his scarecrow and giving him a hideously designed scarecrow, followed by uncontrollable laughter back in his office, "It looks like it was made by a two-year-old monkey."
*** Speaking of gifts, Ryan got Michael's St. Pauli Girl neon, leaving him transfixed and verging on a seizure. And after approaching Kelly when she was mid-text, Michael observed, "If I just went away right now, would that be the best gift I could give you?" Kelly agreed it would be, which was appropriate, if not necessarily "Awww"-worthy. Michael gave Andy his 10 biggest client files, but more on that later. And Creed was able to collect Michael's "World's Best Boss" mug out of the garbage, which counts as a gift, doesn't it?
The tossing of the World's Best Boss mug came in the opening scene and since that mug had been a prop since the pilot, it was a big moment. He exchanged the mug for his fresh Dundie, which somehow completed him.
Perhaps the best capping moment came as Michael got through security at the airport and bid his adieus to the camera crew.
"Hey, will you guys let me know if this ever airs?"
He then removed his body mic and handed it to an unseen techie. Said something in silence and walked away in silence (only to be greeted by Pam). [Duh, as a commenter points out and a quick re-watch confirms, Michael's last audible words were "This is going to feel so good getting this thing off my chest" and the silent words were, of course, "That's what she said." Not sure why I missed that the first time. Royal wedding fever?]
Michael left as fans would want him to leave, but what has he left the show with?
Unfortunately, Thursday's episode provided ample fodder to the "Why would we watch 'The Office' without Steve Carell?" corner of the fandom. [And the "Don't forget to keep watching the Carell-free 'Office' for at least three more episodes of wackiness" teaser package was almost a cruel joke of unfunniness.]
Abutting against all of the Michael-leaving dramedy was an excruciating B-story designed only to show us why Will Ferrell's Deangelo won't actually be Michael's replacement. It's because he's crazy. He's got food issues. He's not a good salesman. And he shouldn't be allowed near pets. There's an argument to be made that Deangelo's craziness let Andy step up and prove his confidence as a salesman and that that was supposed to introduce the idea that Andy could position himself as a plausible manager. I wouldn't mind that, but I'd have preferred not to sit through the Deangelo/Andy stuff in this episode.
And you know who might be even more insane than Deangelo? Gabe, who threatened Andy in the bathroom with, "I've seen some horrible things. I own over 200 horror movies."
There had been some theorizing that Michael's exit might be tied to a revelation about the Scranton Strangler. Maybe Gabe and Deangelo have been strangling in cahoots?
Anyway, I think I've covered all I need to cover. It was a great episode for Carell. It was a great episode for Krasinski, Wilson and Jenna Fischer. There were many excellent grace notes with the other supporting players.
Pity Deangelo had to be there at all...
What'd you think? Did you sniffle? Did you cry? Did it get a bit dusty? And, perhaps more importantly, did you laugh?
A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.
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April 29, 2011 at 3:59AM EST Reply to CommentAs he took off his microphone pack, he said to the camera "I'm glad to finally get this thing off my chest." Then, without the mic, he said "That's what she said".
Pam could have bought a last-minute fully refundable ticket to get thru security, then got a refund.
Did you also catch that Michael adjusted his Dundie on his desk (after throwing out the mug) just like he does in the opening credits?
Finally, Michael's last comments about co-workers being his very best friends hit home with me - my company's contract is up and we're all getting laid off this summer. It's true, "the people that you work with are just, when you get down to it, your very best friends."
I would have said "... just as soon as I figure out where to buy a deathbed."
maeby No good explanation for why Pam didn't have her mic on, tho. But no, I liked the episode. Although Carell will come back to at least a few episodes.
April 29, 2011 at 10:38AM ESTJoseph I imagine maybe the cameras stopped following Pam once she went into the movie theater, and would have turned her mike off as well.
April 29, 2011 at 11:15AM ESTI really enjoyed the episode, didn't even mind the Deangelo scenes since they kept it separate from what Michael was doing, I actually appreciated the short breaks from the emotionality of Michael's goodbye. All in all I thought everyone did a great job, and thought the silent "That's what she said" at the end was brilliant.
Stephen @Maeby
April 29, 2011 at 10:18PM ESTShe just went through the check in thingymabob.. She'd have had to remove all metal objects ie.. mic.
Andcap Pam was holding the mic along with her shoes and other stuff from going through security. I thought it was odder that Michael had his on.
May 2, 2011 at 12:08PM ESTpftdan Ok about the mic... I think they sometimes have them, sometimes not. Becuase in season one, there's evidence to a drop down mic that hangs over them. Pam, just wasn't wearing a mic, nor was there one over hanging.
May 9, 2011 at 2:47PM ESTLee Harvey
April 29, 2011 at 4:11AM EST Reply to CommentI found it underwhelming. It wasn't bad, but I was hoping for a little more.
Alex
April 29, 2011 at 4:23AM EST Reply to CommentInstead of going for a home-run they went for a double and they got a triple. Really solid way to send Carell off. One can only hope that they find a good muse to work with next season.
April 29, 2011 at 4:56AM EST Reply to CommentWow, the Will Farrell stuff was just horrendous. I must be the only person who feels this way, but I think he's so much more effective when he's low-key. I loved him in Stranger Than Fiction. But when Farrell brings the full-on high decibel crazy he's off putting and incredibly unfunny. The cake scene at the end was just painful. At the end of the day there's really been no actual reason for Will Farrell to even be on the show. As Steve Carell leaves I really hope he gets a chance to play roles other than buffoons. I think he has a lot more range than that.
Kiwi The cake scene was awful but so worth it for the Jim / Dwight look at the very very end.
April 29, 2011 at 5:47AM ESTJoseph I thought the cake scene was actually very funny, and the exchange between Dwight and Jim at the end was priceless.
April 29, 2011 at 11:18AM EST
April 29, 2011 at 11:39AM ESTSully The cake scene was supposed to be off putting, hence the Jim and Dwight exchange that followed. Dwight even said "Uh oh." Meaning; "This guy is nuts."
March 15, 2013 at 11:38AM ESTShitegeist
April 29, 2011 at 6:22AM EST Reply to CommentI have to disagree about the Ferrell stuff, I thought it worked. His first couple of episodes have been marked by inconsistency, both in personality and management style. But this episode made that inconsistency make sense, as he was only hired by Jo because he saved her dog, and he's clearly a little nuts. This episode makes the previous two retrospectively consistent.
Also, the scene in the animal sanctuary was hilarious.
jonson I agree, will ferrels sweets issues in the break room had me dying, i may be in the minority but I never tire of seeing him play that kind of crazy, unhinged, man child character
April 29, 2011 at 9:56AM ESTChrissy I thought Kathy Bates was supposed to be good at her job. I could see hiring a guy off the street to work on a loading dock, or in data entry, or maybe even as a junior salesman if he was plucky. But putting him in charge of an entire branch, whose only other Sabre influence is the monumentally ineffective (and, apparently, law-suit prone) Gabe - that's a bit too much. I think Deangelo was not the most well-thought out character.
April 29, 2011 at 12:13PM ESTvelocityknown I don't think he's a thought out character, period. He's very inconsistent in how he's presented (nervous and introverted last week, crazy and loose cannon this one).
April 29, 2011 at 5:26PM EST
April 29, 2011 at 7:58PM ESTCharlie
April 29, 2011 at 9:42AM EST Reply to CommentGabe had always been off, and you could imagine him being desperate but this is a pretty dramatic character shift. They can't keep him on the show much longer if he's acting like this, can they? Two characters exiting at once? I seriously doubt he's the Scranton Strangler. That would be pretty over the top, even for The Office, and I think Toby mentioned they got a conviction for the trial he was at, so I don't think they're going with Gabe framed someone, but he's really a murderer. Still, if he doesn't quit or get fired after threatening Andy on camera (and they all go back to being friends) I'll be disappointed in the show. It's not like I'll miss the character anyway. He's only really useful for times when he's such a pushover that Pam can make up a new job.
This ep more than most reminded you of the documentary, so not only did I think "Gabe just threatened that guy on camera," but "Phyllis just told the world about her secret baby." Oh well, can't take the documentary too seriously.
Joseph Totally agree. People are complaining about the Will Ferrell storyline but the one with Gabe is the one that almost killed the episode for me. It was not only out of left field for the character but also so tonally out of step with everything else that was happening it was distracting. I'm glad they kept it to a minimum and hope they don't drag it out over the remaining three episodes.
April 29, 2011 at 11:21AM EST
April 29, 2011 at 11:44AM ESTPhil
April 29, 2011 at 9:48AM EST Reply to CommentI also thought the no mic thing was intended to call back to the original Office series. That ended with British Jim getting his feelings off his chest to British Pam sans mics.
April 29, 2011 at 11:38AM EST Reply to CommentI thought Toby sat on a jury for the Strangler? But I don't remember if there was a conviction.
It's possible Pam purchased a ticket to get through security. I was thinking that if I were in that situation, I would simply buy a ticket that was fully refundable. There might be a $50 or $100 fee but I think she would see that as being worth it.
I think it's an important moment when they showed Pam going into the movie theater while on the clock. She must be bored to tears with her job. How will this play out?
dan Rich - Toby sat on the jury for the Strangler and they convicted, but last week at the Dundies he tried making a speech about how even though they voted to convict, he hadn't been convinced of the guilt of the suspect...
April 29, 2011 at 11:40AM ESTRight, more attentive people than I?
-Daniel
April 29, 2011 at 11:48AM ESTvelocityknown The Pam thing was something I still wondering about at the end too. Why was she going to a movie???
April 29, 2011 at 12:04PM ESTAnd is there some King's Speech sponsorship going on with The Office? last week with the Michael helping Deangelo and now this? Weird.
I like the episode alright. I was hoping there would be more tear-inducing moments, but I guess it was somewhat appropriate to send Michael out on a note opposite of what he would have normally preferred. I did get choked up when Pam said he hoped he would get bumped up as an "Awards Member".
I was like, "We'll never hear Michael's stupid comments anymore!"
April 29, 2011 at 2:16PM ESTAnd Pam was going to a movie during her work day is an extension of her newfound addiction to be corrupt in her job (first shown when she gave Andy a new computer, then caved to Darryl's demands to cover that up).
JimAbbott'sRightHandMan
April 29, 2011 at 12:26PM EST Reply to CommentIt's funny. I misheard Gabe's threat to Andy. I thought he said, "I've seen some horrible things. I own over 200 R movies." It made less sense, I suppose, but it was a funnier thing to say as a reason why somebody should watch out for you. Because you've seen lots of R-rated movies.
TXCaddyKing I heard "R movies" too. Made me laugh more than the real line would have.
April 29, 2011 at 1:37PM ESTJason Potapoff That's (R movies) what I heard as well. I'm probably wrong but it sounded ore like R than Horror. I think R is funnier since it makes less sense and is less threatening which makes the scene more funny than just creepy and worrisome.
May 3, 2011 at 10:39PM ESTCharlie
April 29, 2011 at 1:20PM EST Reply to CommentAlso, I really enjoyed this review, Dan. Very unfortunate that it came about this way, but do you and Alan ever think about switching it up a little? Like each of you review a show that's normally the other's domain? I think it could be fun if it happened more regularly, but I can see how that might be stepping on each other's toes.
dan Thanks, Charlie... Really, my concern is always making sure that we have as much breadth of content on the site as possible and trying to avoid overlap, though some is obviously inevitable... I know that people want Alan's opinions on the Alan shows and when I have things to say on those shows, I aim to say them during the podcast...
April 29, 2011 at 2:08PM EST-Daniel
JimAbbott'sRightHandMan As somebody who came here after following Alan's reviews for a long time, it feels weird to be reading somebody else reviewing one of Alan's shows. Like I'm cheating.
April 29, 2011 at 8:21PM ESTeriklk I don't mean to be harsh, but I disagree. I found this very brainstormy and not thought-through at all, more like a brainstorm of things you would notice in a podcast than a composed review.
April 29, 2011 at 10:42PM ESTI like your Survivor recaps a lot, but I really think you should spend some more time and effort if you're going to review something. A review needs structure and some sort of argumentation instead of just scattered observations.
Other than that, I think I agree with you on the episode. I found it close to perfect, touching and sweet and a little bit funny, but without grinding the show to a halt in the process. The Deangelo stuff wasn't funny or engaging, but it serves a plot purpose of creating a leadership vacuum at the right time. Gabe was funny and scarily pathetic, while they set up a lot of interesting storylines for Erin, who has become the show's MVP for me (just a pity the break-up last week wasn't prepared properly - probably a result of the Michael-centricity of this season). 9/10
eriklk Not ideal to criticize a review while mentioning that it was brainstormy AND like a brainstorm...
April 29, 2011 at 10:48PM ESTI blame the four lines high comment box!
dan ErikLk - I'm totally fine with you preferring Alan's recaps. That's *beyond* all good in the hood. I'll politely decline the lecture/explanation on how to properly review things. Gracias.
April 29, 2011 at 10:48PM EST-Daniel
April 29, 2011 at 2:19PM EST Reply to CommentI read a theory that Phyllis is Erin's mom.
Johnny I've heard that. At the time I thought Phyllis talking about giving up a baby was just a one time awkward joke, and Erin talking about her birth mom was just the writers letting her and Michael bond, but Greg Daniels said this http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/04/28/the-office-greg-daniels-steve-carell-goodbye-michael/
April 29, 2011 at 3:16PM ESTwhich mentions a "tiny mystery story" that we probably won't notice being set up. This fits the bill, but I think it would be really over the top and not what the show was about, but they might do it if they're desperate enough now w/o Michael. It also shouldn't work because the actresses are born 30 years apart, and Phyllis had her baby in high school, but Phyllis went to high school w/Michael, who's only supposed to be in his forties, I think, and actor-character ages don't always line up so who knows. Probably would be a bad idea, but maybe they can pull it off. Hopefully, they just don't go there
Andrew Another little possible clue... the big secret that Michael says is that Phyllis was really cute in high school. Maybe to address the difference in looks?
April 29, 2011 at 4:53PM ESTDezbot I wouldn't mind if Erin turned out to be Phyllis' daughter, as long as she isn't also Michael's love child. It would make Phyllis seem awfully cruel for not telling him all these years.
April 29, 2011 at 5:01PM EST
April 29, 2011 at 7:04PM EST Reply to CommentOne of the things I liked about the episode (and I did like it, laugh at it, and was moved by it on the whole), and which hasn't been mentioned much, was the way that it coalesced all the different stages we've seen in the evolution of Michael. You, Alan, and most viewers have noticed that his intelligence seems to vary depending on the needs of the episode and inclinations of the lead writer, but here we see all of them together and they work. Michael can be shrewd enough to recognize Oscar's low opinion of him (granted, a whole ep was dedicated to showing him that) and come up with a gag gift exploiting that, but didn't foresee the problem with giving Andy the leads and everyone else tchotchkes because he was just giving them whatever would let him say some kind parting words. He defuses the Dwight situation promptly but freaks about TV channels. He reassures Erin flawlessly but still manages to be wildly inappropriate with the staff, and he manages to be cordial with Toby when prepared, but rude to Phyllis when feeling pressured. From my view that all worked under one roof, without ever feeling like his personality was on a see-saw, and I thought that was really important to the episode. Michael has no sense of social protocol, tries to hard to be funny when he's clearly not, gets scared like a child and is far too impulsive for his own good, but when he manages to steer clear of those land mines, he has the capacity to be strategic, thoughtful, personable, and even motivational, a person who could actually get an office to like him and once have been a really good salesman, and I think the writers were wise in selecting the range of Michael to put on display to exemplify that.
I really enjoyed most of the goodbyes, except for Jim's which really bothered me on a plausibility level. What did Michael ever do to really mentor Jim? Nothing that I can recall.
As for the B plots, I think it varied. Gabe's was really funny but a little ridiculous. I actually didn't mind the Deangelo-Andy subplot, as it went a long way towards explaining Ferrell's erratic scripting over the previous few episodes, but pigeon-holing Andy as a horrific salesman only to find his groove felt artificial, and while I thought it was relevant on it's own, I agree that it didn't necessarily have to be part of this episode.
NYCchick I don't think that Jim really believed that Michael was a good boss. He just knew how happy it would make Michael and that he would miss Michael.
April 29, 2011 at 8:42PM ESTJuan I don't know, remember when he was at Stamford and he told Josh that Michael was a better boss than him? I think ever since then, he's been developing an appreciation for Michael's management style, at least with the whole "This office is a family" idea. On top of that, he just said, "best boss I ever had." If Jim's as old as John Krasinski, he'd only be 25 when the show started, so he might have had only one boss between there and college, and you don't normally like your jobs when you're still in school, so there probably isn't that much competition when he says, "best boss I ever had." Even on the show, Jim's preferred Michael to his replacements (D'Angelo, Stringer Bell), Josh, and Michael's superiors, like Jan, Ryan, and Gabe. So I can definitely see him genuinely saying that. Plus, he just cares about Michael as a person.
April 29, 2011 at 9:49PM EST
May 1, 2011 at 2:03AM ESTJuan @Scott: I doubt that anyone will see this, so late after Dan posted, but I'm still going w/it being realistic.
May 1, 2011 at 9:11PM ESTFirst, nostalgia makes everything seem better. The annoying thing your friend did becomes something you miss when it's gone.
Then, I really think Jim has a grown to appreciate Michael as a boss. First, the contrast with Stamford where he saw Michael's loyalty to his employees, then their gradual friendship, then the co-managing, I thought, really made him appreciate Michael's approach. He saw how hard it was, and there was that murder mystery party, when Jim decided the employees should go on playing rather than tell them that the company was failing. I think that put Michael's stupid attempts to maintain morale above all else in perspective: If nothing else, he always provided distraction.
Finally, he's really choking up because his friend is leaving. Even if objectively, he knows that Michael's not a great boss, like NYCChick said, he knows it will make Michael feel better. He could say, "You're a great friend," which would be closer to the truth, but he thinks this is a better compliment. I mean, if Jim had hated Pam's art, and they had stayed just friends, and Pam left for art school, Jim still might have said, "I really love your art," if only to be supportive. So it's a combination of it's true from a certain point of view, true in hindsight, and sadness for his friend leaving
Ray
May 1, 2011 at 8:43PM EST Reply to CommentThis episode was sad but funny. Like when Michael gave the scarecrow away I was laughing so hard. I thought it was a little weird that Will Ferrell’s character had an eating problem. The part at the animal shelter was really odd also. I watched this episode using Dish Online http://bit.ly/dJzWgo since my job at Dish Network and my schoolwork take up most of my time.
pftdan
May 9, 2011 at 2:46PM EST Reply to CommentOk about the mic... I think they sometimes have them, sometimes not. Becuase in season one, there's evidence to a drop down mic that hangs over them. Pam, just wasn't wearing a mic, nor was there one over hanging.
Sully
March 15, 2013 at 11:48AM EST Reply to CommentI have to admit I got choked up several times during the episode:
The first was when Dwight read his letter of recommendation from Michael. That moment made my eyes tear up a little, and I thought it was great that there last day together was spent playing a game. The second emotional moment was the private exchange between Jim and Michael in his office. That one nearly killed me. The MOST emotional I got was when he was making his way through the airport and Pam shows up out of nowhere and throws a hug on him. That one was a killer.