The final season of The Office saw the show's nine seasons long run come to an end in 2013. After Steve Carell left two seasons earlier, the ratings of the show kept fluctuating; however, season 9 of The Office mostly got good reviews from the critics and the audience alike. The season finale was extremely satisfying, especially for the fans of the show.
Season 9 was very nostalgic as it brought to an end an era of comedy that will forever remain in the hearts and minds of the viewers. A deeper dive into season 9 will show that there were some hits and misses, and here are some of them.
MISS: Andy Is Not Given His Due
Ed Helms's Andy Bernard was one of those characters that viewers progressively got very attached to. Andy goes through a good amount of character development by the time he is the manager in season 9, but he doesn't appear in many episodes of this season.
Season 9 delivers quite a harsh ending for Ed Helm's character as he loses his family wealth, managerial position, sales position, girlfriend, and more.
HIT: Throwback To the Original Romance With Erin & Pete
The fans of the show would be able to draw many parallels between the relationship between Erin and Pete and that of Jim and Pam of the first few seasons. The cute will-they-won't-they comes to faster fruition for Erin and Pete.
They are a good looking couple, and this relationship seems like a nod to the young office romance between Jim and Pam. This is especially amusing because Pete is considered to be Jim Jr. by the rest of the office. Ellie Kemper and Jake Lacy played the characters of Erin Hannon and Pete Miller respectively.
MISS: There's Too Much Of Jim & Pam
The fun of Jim and Pam's relationship was that it was only one of the subplots of The Office; however, by season 9, their relationship had taken center stage. The show leaned into its sitcom traditions instead of its comedy ones here and it was noticeable. There are many moments where their relationship is tested throughout the season.
With this much focus on Jim and Pam's relationship, The Office strays away from the essence of what it set out to be – an absurd comedy. The comedy quotient decreased with their relationship taking up too much time.
HIT: Dwight Finally Gets To Be Manager
Dwight Schrute is one of The Office's most popular characters, and he had been wanting to become the manager from the beginning of the show. This dream of his finally comes true in the final season.
While Dwight was made interim manager in an earlier season, season 9 was the one that officially gave him the role that he so badly wanted and deserved. It seems fitting that Dwight's dream was finally made true, and the position was given to him by David Wallace, with Jim's approval.
MISS: The Reveal Of The Crew Of The Documentary
One of the things that made The Office so funny was its mockumentary style. By season 9, they started showing the viewers bits and pieces of the actual people behind the documentary, which did take away some of the magic.
The Office also ended with the actual documentary being aired which made sense seeing that it was the original premise of the show. However, viewers found Brian, especially, to be an unnecessary addition. To ensure that all the loose ends were tied, the showrunners had put themselves in the uncomfortable situation of having to reveal the actual makers behind the documentary.
HIT: Even Jim & Pam Need Marriage Counselling
For the many viewers who found Jim and Pam to be the perfect couple, it was a really sobering moment when the writers decided to have them go for marriage counseling. It added depth to their otherwise fairytale relationship and allowed viewers to see Jim and Pam as any other "real" couple with their own set of problems.
This was a good way to add some realness to the show and allowed them to bring about a more positive discourse around marriage counseling.
MISS: The Oscar-Angela-Senator Triangle
The first half of the season had Oscar and the Senator involved with each other while the latter was still married to Angela. This was uncomfortable to watch for multiple reasons. After nine seasons of the show, viewers had started to empathize with the strong-willed Angela and it was really upsetting to see her get cheated on.
Oscar was the only main gay character on the show, and he deserved better as well. They were also kind of friends, so it was really upsetting to see Oscar do something like this to Angela. They sorted it out by the end of the show, but it was still a very unnecessary subplot for the final season.
HIT: The Show Got More Real
After so many years, The Office got a lot more real in season 9. Many of the characters got a chance to express vulnerability, while Dwight became progressively less of a caricature throughout the season.
There are many genuine moments and real difficulties that are addressed in this season. Angela and Andy also have arcs that take them away from their usual positions on the show. Season 9 was able to make the show more human and heartwarming.
MISS: Underwhelming End?
When Michael left at the end of season 7, there was a conclusive quality to it. Viewers were left in tears and felt it was the end of the show as they know it. Season 9 tried to top this but many do not believe The Office actually managed to accomplish that.
The finale does have one of the best episodes of the season and many old faces make an appearance. But the fact remains that the final episode of The Office was not as incredible as it could have been, given the legacy of the show.
HIT: Michael Scott Makes An Appearance
Probably the peak of the season would be Michael's guest appearance at the end of the season. Steve Carell's Michael Scott was one of the most beloved characters, so it was only fitting that he was present at the end of The Office.
Michael had very little in the way of dialogue but his mere presence took the episode up a notch. The fact that he returned to be Dwight's Best Man at his wedding made it even more satisfying.