The Office may have ended ten years ago, but it remains one of the most popular sitcoms of all time to this day. Featuring lovable characters, memorable storylines, endlessly quotable lines, and hilarious gags, The Office managed to remain fresh throughout its nine-season run by constantly shifting its own status quo.
Whether shaking up character relationships or altering the show’s balance of power, The Office never liked to get comfortable. On several occasions over the years, the beloved series took the opportunity to change how it presented itself to viewers, taking on a completely new norm in the process.
10. Michael Becomes Likable
The first season of The Office features a very different Michael Scott than the version that audiences would eventually grow to know and love. The original Michael was far less likable, even more offensive—and ultimately, not as funny. However, later seasons worked hard to alter Michael’s character, introducing a version that is difficult not to like despite his faults.
Aided in large part by Steve Carrell’s surprisingly vulnerable performance, Michael’s arc in The Office is a highlight of the series as audiences watch him transform from a tone-deaf authority figure to someone worthy of their love and support. Surprisingly, Michael Scott even ends up being a great boss during his seven-season stint on The Office.
9. Jim Moves To Stamford
Jim and Pam’s back-and-forth romance was a major plot point in the early seasons of The Office. However, their story took a massive turn when Jim moved to Dunder Mifflin’s Stamford branch because he was no longer capable of watching the woman he loved with someone else, marking a unique twist in the series itself.
With one of its main characters detached from the show’s central narrative, The Office changed the way audiences watched its third season. Now, two different narratives ran simultaneously, one following the typical goings-on of the Scranton branch and the other building up Jim’s new life in Stamford. While these two storylines would eventually converge, Jim’s move to Stamford remains a massive shift in The Office‘s third season.
8. Ryan Goes To Corporate
After spending the first three seasons of The Office as a temp, Ryan Howard received a surprise promotion from corporate, making him Michael’s new boss. Over the course of the show’s fourth season, Ryan served as the central authority figure and took Jan’s position after she was fired.
This change flipped the power dynamic between Michael and Ryan, putting Michael at a lower status than his supposed protégé. The comedic genius of this new dynamic is evident as audiences watch Michael squirm as he is forced to take orders from someone he had hoped to mentor.
7. Jim & Pam Finally Get Together
Jim and Pam are undoubtedly one of the most infamous television will-they-won’t-they relationships in history, as audiences watch their turbulent romance in the early seasons of The Office. However, the show changed dramatically once the couple actually got together at the end of the third season.
By having Jim and Pam get together, The Office left much of the dramatic intrigue and heartache that had been so prevalent in its early seasons at the door. Jim and Pam’s relationship would remain a central part of the series, but the couple would now almost always be presented as a united front, changing the dynamic of the office entirely.
6. Jim Becomes Co-Manager
The sixth season of The Office introduced a controversial plotline wherein Jim becomes the co-manager of the Scranton branch alongside Michael. While this story only lasted throughout a single season, it brought a massive and unexpected change to the series itself.
With Jim now taking a leadership position in the office, his dynamic with many characters therein shifted dramatically while also highlighting the character’s strengths and weaknesses as he figures out what kind of boss he wants to be. Jim’s character is painted in an entirely different light as a result of this arc, which also aligns him more closely with Michael Scott and creates one of the sitcom’s most unlikely friendships.
5. Dunder Mifflin Goes Bankrupt
An ongoing story arc in The Office‘s sixth season deals with Dunder Mifflin’s increasing financial worries. Eventually, things culminate in the company going bankrupt, nearly costing everyone their jobs. Thankfully, Jo Bennett and her printer company, Sabre, step in and buy Dunder Mifflin, putting the company under new management.
Dunder Mifflin becoming a division of Sabre dramatically altered The Office, as the characters began reporting to new bosses and began selling new printer products in addition to paper. Sabre’s introduction also brought new characters to the fold, including Gabe Lewis, who would play a significant role in future seasons.
4. Michael Leaves
One of the biggest status quo changes in The Office came at the end of its seventh season when Michael Scott moved away to live with Holly Flax in Colorado. Steve Carrell had been the top-billed cast member for seven seasons but made his exit, therefore leaving the rest of the ensemble cast to carry the series for its final two years.
In addition to breaking The Office fans’ hearts, Michael’s departure marks a turning point in the series itself. With its central character gone, The Office was forced to reevaluate the dynamics between its characters and how Dunder Mifflin would carry on in the future. While not every fan appreciated the show’s new direction, future seasons certainly felt fresh and different without Michael.
3. Andy Becomes Manager
In the wake of Michael’s departure at the end of season seven, The Office promoted Andy Bernard to regional manager. Andy served as manager throughout the show’s eighth season and much of season nine, putting his character in a dramatically different light.
The Office is a series that revolves around its manager and his relationships with his subordinates. Therefore, putting a new and very different character from Michael Scott in charge meant that The Office would have a very different flavor in its eighth season. Andy’s time as a boss may be controversial, but there is no denying that it is a stark departure from previous seasons.
2. Dunder Mifflin Goes To Florida
The eighth season of The Office includes a storyline wherein several core characters, including Jim, Dwight, Erin, Ryan, and Stanley, travel to Florida for several weeks to help launch a chain of Sabre stores. This left the show’s remaining main characters in Scranton, running the day-to-day business as usual.
The Florida arc was unlike anything The Office had ever done before, splitting its story between two different locations. Unlike Jim’s Stamford arc, this period of time took a large chunk of The Office‘s cast out of Scranton, reinventing how the series presented itself for several episodes. While the storyline has its ups and downs, The Office deserves some credit for trying to do something different after eight years of playing it safe.
1. The Final Season Introduces The Film Crew
In one of the most shocking and controversial storylines in the history of the show, The Office‘s ninth season saw certain members of the documentary crew filming Dunder Mifflin intervene in the story. This included the boom mic operator, Brian, stepping in to help Pam on several occasions, indicating that the two characters had formed a friendship over the years.
Introducing the film crew forever alters how audiences view The Office, for better or for worse. While the idea of exploring the characters’ relationships with the film crew is an interesting idea, it also proves perhaps too meta. While this move is almost unilaterally hated by audiences, it was certainly a massive shift in how The Office presented itself.
