The Officeis a legendary sitcom, and the show’s ending is a fantastic episode of TV all around. The US adaptation of Ricky Gervais’ UK TV show stars an array of wild and wacky characters, all of whom work at Dunder Mifflin Scranton, and are portrayed byThe Office’s amazing cast. In season 9’s two-parter “Finale,”The Office’s highest-rated episode on IMDb, everyone gathers together one last time for Dwight and Angela’s wedding day.
Simultaneously, the documentary crew who follow the characters throughoutall 9 seasons ofThe Officereturn to shoot DVD extras and to host a panel at the Scranton Cultural Center, so that audiences can question everyone on what they’d seen on TV. With fresh starts, goodbyes, and even an arrest, “Finale” is one ofthe best episodes ofThe Office, and a lot happens in the very last installment of the hit comedy.
What Happens To The Main Characters In The Office’s Finale
The Office’s Last Episode Jumps Forward A Year
By the time the documentary finishes airing, the lives ofThe Officecharacters have all changed. Some for the better, some not so much.Dwight and Angela’s relationship inThe Officefinally has a happy ending when the pair tie the knot, for example.Dwight is still running the Scranton branchsince his promotion a few episodes previously, and he is just as erratic as expected, but everyone is happy. Jim takes on the role of Dwight’s bestest mensch, and Pam is busy with her mural, but not much has changed for the pair.
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Oscar is now running for State Senate, having been inspired by his affair with the Senator to do better than his ex-lover.Phyllis, however, is one of the few characters who doesn’t change that much,except for having to get used to her new desk buddy.
Unfortunately,the branch doesn’t look as familiar as before, due to some staffing changes by Dwight.For example, Stanley finally retires and moves to Florida, and Dwight rehires former employee Devon from seasons 1 and 2.Dakota Johnson replaces Kevin inThe Officefinaleafter he’s fired, as is Toby, who moves to New York to write the great American novel.
Toby is rather up-to-date with what Nellie is up to,who has moved to Poland but still returns for the wedding. However, she leaves with more than she bargains for. Erin meets her parents and is still going strong with Pete. Things are going well for her, unlike Andy, at least as it seems initially.
Following his stint on the a cappella TV competition, Andy goes viral, but it results in him getting his dream job at Cornell.The funniest fate is that of Creed Bratton, who is initially missing in the finale.Creed fakes his own death after the airing of the documentaryand is later arrested for a series of crimes. Darryl, who leaves Dunder Mifflin in season 9 to join Athlead (or as it’s later renamed, Athleap), also returns for the wedding and panel. However, his return sparks one ofThe Officefinale’s biggest subplots: Jim and Pam deciding to leave Scranton.
Why Jim & Pam Leave Scranton
The Halperts' Departure Is Bittersweet
Jim and Pam’s marriage problems inThe Officeare a huge part of season 9’s story. Jim starting a new company, struggling to balance his two lives, and his attempts to convince Pam to move their family to Philadelphia don’t go down well. Ultimately, they decide to stay in Scranton, at least until the finale. After an emotional day with the wedding and the panel, during which the pair is questioned about the state of their relationship and the fallout of not going to Philadelphia, Jim is shocked to find Carol Stills on their doorstep.
Behind his back, Pam organizes house viewings, so that they can sell up and join the rest of the Athleap team. Pam’s argument is that because Jim buys their house in season 5 without consulting her, she can sell it without telling him.Jim is over the moon when Pam suggests they head to Austin,which is where Athleap is now, and they agree that it’s time to move on. This is a lovely way to wrap up these characters’ story arcs, especially after the failure ofThe Officeseason 9’s Brian twisttries to drive a wedge between them.
Pam is proud of her work and is now doing something that she is truly passionate about, and she realizes that Jim deserves the chance to feel the same way.
BecausePam’s art career is thriving, especially after she completes the murals for the Irish Cultural Centre and the warehouse wall,it allows her to understand just what she is taking away from Jim. Pam is proud of her work and is now doing something that she is truly passionate about, and she realizes that Jim deserves the chance to feel the same way, especially as he gives up Athlead for her sake.
It’s strange to see the pair quit in the last moments of “Finale,”but nothing makes me happier when Dwight fires them instead, in order to provide them severance packages so they’ll have some financial support during the move. It’s definitely odd to imagine the pair anywhere else, but Pam answering the phone and saying “Jim Halpert doesn’t work here anymore” feels like a fitting ending, too.
What Steve Carell Reveals About Michael Scott (& Where’s Holly?)
Michael’s Return Is Brilliant, But Holly Is Notably Missing
Steve Carell leavingThe Officeis a sad moment for both the characters and the audience, but thankfully, he comes back in “Finale.” This moment is huge, especially as everyone wants to know what his life is like after moving to Colorado.Michael finally gets his dream of being with a caring woman when Holly Flax returnsfrom Nashua in season 7. After Holly reveals her parents are struggling with their health and she needs to go back home to help, Michael proposes and decides to go with her.
When we see Michael again in “Finale,” he’s the same man, but different. The couple has two children, andMichael has so many photos that he tells Pam he has to have two cell phoneswith two separate plans to store them all. In an episode ofOffice Ladies, the podcast by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, it’s mentioned that the names ofMichael Scott’s kids inThe Officeare Chebonshur and Lowshebin, something that is revealed in a talking head scene that was scrapped.
Fischer and Kinsey also confirm in this episode ofOffice LadiesthatHolly Flax was supposed to appear in “Finale”alongside her two “Irish twins,” but actress Amy Ryan had scheduling conflicts that prevented her from being there. Little else is revealed about Holly Flax orMichael Scott inThe Office’s finaleother than their kids, but this isn’t as important, and audiences are more interested in their family setup than what their jobs are.
The Return Of Pam’s Painting
A Great Callback To The Office Season 3
Pam takes a painting inThe Office’s finalejust as everyone is leaving.Eagle-eyed viewers ofThe Officewill recognize this picture from the season 3 episode “Business School,”as it’s Pam’s painting of the building that Dunder Mifflin Scranton is situated in. Michael purchases the painting in “Business School” after he attends Pam’s art show, and he falls in love with her artwork for several reasons, but especially because she includes both of their cars in the image.
The painting almost wasn’t a part ofThe Office’s finale, as there was a season 6 storyline that involved Erin accidentally destroying it while Pam and Jim were on their honeymoon, but this was thankfully cut (viaOffice Ladies).
Pam takes this painting not just as a reminder of her time at Dunder Mifflin,but also as a symbol of how she has changed as a person.Pam’s character development inThe Officeis stellar, and this painting reminds her of when she was just a mild-mannered receptionist with a life that wasn’t going anywhere. While she may start this way, by the end ofThe Office, Pam is a much stronger and outspoken person who knows what she’s passionate about, let alone the fact that she is also married to Jim (and not Roy), and has two children.
How Dunder Mifflin’s Employees Are Impacted By The Documentary
Nobody’s Lives Are The Same After The Office: An American Workplace
The Office’s documentaryimpacts some characters more than others.Creed, naturally, is painted in a less-than-flattering light,and his actions throughout the documentary result in him faking his own death in the warehouse’s baler to avoid incarceration. He still makes an appearance in the finale, using a disguise to attend Dwight and Angela’s wedding. Creed secretly lives in Ryan’s former “office” until he is found by the others, and is eventually led away by police.
Out of all the characters,Andy and Erin are affected by the documentary the most.Even though Erin isn’t in the show from the beginning, she makes quite the impression on the documentary’s audience. During the panel, Erin’s biological parents reveal themselves to her, and they all reunite for the first time since her childhood. What’s weird about this moment is that Erin is her middle name, and her real first name is actually Kelly, something thatviewers forget about Erin inThe Office. However, as her parents, it’s likely they figure this out, regardless.
He is jokingly invited to give a commencement address to Cornell’s students, but Andy’s speech ends up being rather inspiring
After forcing himself into the audition room ofThe Office’s fictional singing competition, America’s Next A Cappella Sensation, Andy has an emotional breakdown in front of the judges.The othershesitate to contact Andy after the clip of his audition goes viral,especially after all the parodies and auto-tunes. However, despite Andy being mocked duringBill Hader and Seth Meyers’The Officecameo, it all works out for him. He is jokingly invited to give a commencement address to Cornell’s students, but Andy’s speech ends up being rather inspiring, and he is then hired to work in the admissions office.
One unexpected character we learn more about inThe Officefinale is Meredith Palmer. Throughout the show,Meredith is depicted as an alcoholic mother who is generally inappropriate.However, “Finale” establishes something about her we didn’t know until the last moment. During the show, Meredith is working towards her PHD in School Psychology and justifies her actions in the documentary by saying, “Hey, it was college.” Hilariously, Meredith thinks she is on her “Best behavior,” and as the crew wraps up shooting, states that “If it wasn’t for the cameras, I would’ve done some truly vulgar crap.”
It is implied that part of the reason Stanley Hudson, the star ofThe Office’s most underrated scene, moves to Florida is because of the documentary. When Stanley arrives for the wedding and panel, he tells the crew in a talking head scene that he received his divorce papers by fan boat. Throughout the show, Stanley is seen partaking in several extra-marital affairs. WhileStanley’s wife, Terri, forgives him for his affair with Cynthia,she doesn’t know their relationship carries on. Terri and Cynthia definitely don’t know about Lydia, but then again, neither do audiences until season 9’s “Stairmageddon,” either.
Firing Kevin clearly hurts Dwight, but he knows that for the sake of the company, it has to be done. OnceKevin is fired from Dunder Mifflin for years of poor accountancy skills,especially for his made-up symbol, the “Keleven,” he buys his own bar. Dwight and the rest of the guys visit Kevin’s bar in “Finale” after Mose kidnaps Angela as part of an old Schrute wedding tradition, and the pair share a very sweet reunion.
Kevin later attends Dwight’s wedding to Angela and the panel, too. While the memory of being fired is still sore,Kevin is ultimately happy running his bar,something that appears to be a better fit for him.
The Office Finale’s Other Returning Characters Explained
The Office’s Most Toxic Couple Come Back
Other than Michael Scott,the two main characters who return inThe Officefinale are Ryan Howard and Kelly Kapoor. After Kelly moves to Ohio with her fiancé, Ravi, Ryan decides to go after her. Their fates are left unclear, with Pete and Clark filling Ryan and Kelly’s shoes in season 9, at least until they attend Dwight and Angela’s wedding.
Ryan arrives with baby Drake. But to nobody’s surprise,Ryan’s not exactly an overly caring father.He spots Kelly in attendance, and the spark between them is reignited once again. Ryan purposely gives Drake a strawberry, which the baby is allergic to, and gets pediatrician Ravi to check him over so that he can be alone with Kelly.
This results in one of the most easily predictable moments inThe Office’s highest-rated episode, and as the two run off into the sunset,Ryan claims he’s “Finally mastered commitment.”Nellie, who has been desperate for a child of her own for years, takes Drake off Ravi’s hands and tells the documentary crew they’ll “Be somewhere in Europe,” if Ryan wants his baby back, which, honestly, is very unlikely.
The Real Meaning Of The Office’s Ending
“Finale” Highlights The Beauty Of The Ordinary
The real meaning ofThe Office’s finale can be summed up in the characters’ final talking head scenes. Each character is asked to provide a comment on their time over the last nine years, which results in some of the mostpoignant quotes inThe Officeever.Andy’s remark about knowing when the good old days actually are happening is stellar,as is Pam’s about why the documentary decided to focus on Dunder Mifflin Scranton.
As Pam says, “There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kind of the point?”
Ultimately,The Office’s ending is summarized by these last scenes.It’s about reflecting on how the mundane can turn into something incredible and thought-provoking, as well as how quickly time passes when you’re not paying attention. As Pam says, “There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kind of the point?”The Office’s finale makes viewers think about how these characters have changed and grown over the last nine seasons, and how, at the end of the day, there is no such thing as an ordinary person.
Will There Ever Be A Revival Of The Office?
The Office Probably Won’t Come Back, But There’s An Upcoming Spinoff To Enjoy
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely we’ll ever seeThe Officereturn to screens. Whileit would be amazing to see the employees of Dunder Mifflin Scranton back together again,their stories are over now, andThe Office’s lengthy run has already provided us with enough laughs.
However, hope is not lost, as in August 2025,The Officespinoff,The Paper, is set to release.This new mockumentary series will focus on the employees ofThe Truth Teller,a declining newspaper in Toledo, Ohio.The Paperwill star huge names like Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore, although it’s currently unknown exactly who their characters are. Oscar Nuñez is also set to reprise his role asThe Office’s Oscar Martinez inThe Paper, but it’s unclear what has happened to the character for him to now be in Ohio.
