Steve Carell had reservations about returning as Michael Scott in the season finale of The Office's main characters a perfect ending.

Michael the perfect ending in The Office.

Michael Scott Having A Bigger Role In The Office's Finale Would've Ruined It

Michael's Heavy Involvement In The Finale Would've Diminished What The Office Worked To Achieve

The series writers planned a far bigger role for the former branch manager, including an alternative ending that wanted to introduce Michael's children in The Office's finale. There were plenty of unanswered questions following Michael's departure, such as what his life in Colorado with Holly (Amy Ryan) might look like. That being said, keeping the bulk of Michael's life private was a far better decision for the series. Michael's outward desperation for love drove him to some rather embarrassing lengths, so his quiet contentedness speaks volumes to how happy he ended up being.

In addition to this, the reason behind Carell not wanting to return for The Office finale correctly summarizes the risk of Michael taking precedence over the resuming cast. Carell didn't want to detract from the farewell to the long-serving cast . Fischer, the actress who played former receptionist Pam Beesly, explained (via Office Ladies):

"He didn't want to open [Michael's ending] back up again, and he especially did not wanna come back after two years and have this finale episode be about him. Steve really felt like, 'My character had his ending. This is everybody else's ending.’ And he didn't wanna overshadow that."

Steve Carell's Exit From The Office Meant That The Show Had Two Finales

A Finale In Both The Office Seasons 7 & 9 Meant Each Character Had Their Respective Moment

Carell's role in The Office is what defined the show, and it's hard to deny that Michael Scott has had a permanent impression on the entire sitcom genre. His exit from the series was incredibly decisive among audiences, meaning that the conclusion of season 7 feels like a finale in its own right. The momentous farewell from The Office's cast is a testament to how adored Michael came to be. Michael was an unwavering er of his colleagues, so the final "9,986,000 Minutes" surprise was the perfect sendoff for his beloved character.

It's important to acknowledge that The Office did struggle to maintain its momentum once Michael left, but it made a swift recovery by redirecting its focus to the show's new leads.

It's important to acknowledge that The Office did struggle to maintain its momentum once Michael left, but it made a swift recovery by redirecting its focus to the show's new leads. Jim and Pam became a fundamental part of the remaining storylines, as did Andy Bernard (Ed Helms). Seasons 8 and 9 demanded far more testing situations to convince its viewership to remain interested, and the legacy character's larger presence was the key to achieving this. The result was several open-ended situations, but these were neatly tied together in one impressive conclusion at the end of season 9.

Source: CinemaBlend, Office Ladies Podcast