The Office has many unforgettable characters, from the equally horrible and lovable boss, Michael Scott (Steve Carell), to the judgmental Angela (Angela Kinsey) and everyone in between. But, among the Dunder Mifflin gang is one character who is rarely the center of the story despite being the most mysterious person in the office: Creed Bratton (confusingly, played by Creed Bratton). As the oldest and longest-standing employee at the Scranton branch, Creed is a staple on the show despite nearly getting written off in Season 2. Creed may not often be heavily involved in the story or even know what’s happening, but his ending is the most intriguing.
The series may be loved for its many unpredictable characters, but Creed Bratton is the biggest wildcard. Throughout the series, he sits in the back of the office, working as the quality assurance manager as he grows his mung beans and runs his blog, Creed Thoughts, from which even Ryan Howard (B. J. Novak) feels compelled to protect the world. Often making bizarre statements that rarely line up, Creed is a mystery, but he keeps his head down, and his coworkers mostly ignore him as a harmless old man. But during the nine seasons, Creed is protecting a dark secret.
Where Does ‘The Office’ Leave Creed?
While the series finale establishes what the future looks like for many characters, Creed’s stands out. Recounting the changes to the company in the last year, Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) explains that Creed tried to fake his own death just before the police showed up looking for him. It turns out that all this time, Creed had quite a past as a member of the band The Grass Roots in the 60s. Throughout his time at Dunder Mifflin, Creed has been a wanted man facing accusations of dealing drugs, trafficking endangered animal meats, and stealing LSD from the military. Though he ran from the charges, that is not the last we see of Creed. When the past and present Dunder Mifflin employees sneak away from the PBS event and hide in the office, Creed, now bearded, is already there, seemingly living in a closet. At the night’s end, Creed reminisces about his time at Dunder Mifflin before being led away by the cops, as his past has caught up to him.
The Office is not totally new to crime, but the twist of what Creed is capable of is unique. Anyone watching closely could guess he had a sketchy past, but for the most part, Creed seems to be one of the many easily distracted employees who wouldn’t do well in a more efficient office. Yet his rap sheet shows just how effective he can be.
What Happened to Creed After ‘The Office’?
The Office ends with a life-goes-on mentality, as Dwight and Angela start married life while Dwight lives his dream as Regional Manager, Andy (Ed Helms) bounces back from rock bottom with internet fame and a job at his alma mater, and even Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinski) plan to move on from Dunder Mifflin as Jim begins a more fulfilling career. However, Creed’s ending stands out as it is not the happy conclusion everyone else seems to get. Considering everything we know about Creed (which is admittedly not much), he’s probably guilty. After all, an innocent man doesn’t fake his death and go into hiding when he fears discovery. Given his arrest, the logical place for Creed to go is prison.
However, Creed Bratton (the actor) has his own theory of what would come next for his character. During an interview with the Tampa Bay Times in 2019, Bratton speculated about the character’s future, saying, “He never stayed in jail long. He got out pretty fast.” He went on to suggest that Creed would have gotten pity from a talented defense attorney, scammed his way to freedom, and continued doing the (probably illegal) things that Creed does best. And, honestly, Bratton makes a good point. After all, Creed got away with it this long, so why wouldn’t he be able to escape justice again?
