One specific actor stepped into the spotlight on seasons of The Office, Carell played Michael Scott, the immature branch manager of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch. Michael Scott is one of the funniest sitcom characters of all time, but Carell decided to leave the show after seven seasons.

In addition to Carell, the The Office's best ing characters received more screen time in the final two seasons of the show, but multiple new characters were also introduced. In the two-part finale of The Office season 7, James Spader's Robert California is introduced, and his first scene is so funny that it makes Carell's exit worth it.

Robert California’s Job Interview Is One Of The Office’s Funniest Scenes

James Spader Was Hilarious In His First Appearance In The Office

After Carell's Michael Scott moves to Colorado, Will Ferrell's Deangelo Vickers is the manager of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch. However, Farrell's time on the show was short-lived, as Deangelo is crushed by a basketball net just one episode after Michael leaves. Therefore, Jim, Toby, and Gabe are tasked with finding a new manager for the office. The final two episodes of The Office season 7 feature the three of them interviewing several candidates for the manager position.

Stars like Jim Carrey, Ray Romano, and Will Arnett make appearances at the end of The Office season 7, but Spader's appearance is by far the most memorable. Spader's Robert California is overly confident in his interview, and leaves Jim, Toby, and Gabe essentially speechless. He hilariously explains to them that "everything is sex" and commands the interview from start to finish. This hysterical interview led to Robert California being one of the main characters in The Office season 8.

The Office’s First Few Episodes Without Michael Were Actually Great

The Office Needed A New Manager After Micheal Scott Left

Even though it was very sad that Carell left the show, the first few episodes of The Office after his departure actually worked very well. Michael moving to Colorado opened the door for the show to pursue a new manager storyline. After Deongelo Vickers' accident, Dwight is initially named as acting manager. Being manager of the Scranton branch is Dwight's dream, but the power quickly goes to his head. This leads to him firing a gun in the office and losing the position.

The two-part finale of The Office season 7 was the perfect opportunity for the show to include a slew of cameos. It was great to see all the different candidates come in for bizarre interviews. Ricky Gervais, the star of the U.K. version of The Office, even appeared in a video interview. This was a great way to end the season, and ensured that fans were eager to see who the new manager would be in The Office season 8.

Michael Scott’s Exit Did Change The Office For The Worse Eventually

The Office Couldn't Recover From Steve Carell's Exit

The Office season 8 reveals that Robert California did actually get the job. However, he immediately leaves and manages to become CEO of the entire company. Therefore, Andy is named the new office manager in The Office season 8. Robert, Andy, and the show's other main characters, such as Dwight, Jim, and Pam, are essential parts of The Office season 8. However, just a few episodes into the season, it becomes clear that Carell's exit left a major hole in the series.

Michael Scott was such a unique character, and there was never going to be a worthy replacement for him after Carell's exit.

The Office seasons 8 and 9 are typically viewed as the worst seasons of the series. Michael Scott was such a unique character, and there was never going to be a worthy replacement for him after Carell's exit. The Office also became much goofier in its final two seasons, relying more on silly, random jokes, rather than smart comedy. Therefore, even though Robert California's initial interview is hilarious, The Office ultimately became a worse show after Carell's exit.