Goodbye, Michael

Last updated

"Goodbye, Michael"
The Office episode
Episode no.Season 7
Episode 22
Directed by Paul Feig
Written by Greg Daniels
Featured music"Kind & Generous" by Natalie Merchant
Cinematography byMatt Sohn
Editing by David Rogers
Production code7022
Original air dateApril 28, 2011 (2011-04-28)
Running time36 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Michael's Last Dundies"		Next →
"The Inner Circle"
The Office (American season 7)
List of episodes

"Goodbye, Michael" is the twenty-second [a] episode of the seventh season of the American comedy series The Office and the show's 148th episode overall. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 28, 2011. In the episode, Michael prepares to leave for Colorado with Holly and spends his last day in the office saying goodbye to everyone individually, wanting no drama to ensue. Meanwhile, new manager Deangelo and Andy try to keep Michael's biggest clients.

Contents

The episode was written by series developer and executive producer Greg Daniels and was directed by Paul Feig, marking his fifteenth and final directing credit on the show. It marks the final appearance of Steve Carell as a series regular, having announced he was leaving the series near the end of the sixth season. Additionally, it is also Amy Ryan’s final appearance on the show, although she only provided her voice for the episode. The episode aired in an extended 50-minute timeslot, having originally been meant to be a two-parter combined with the previous episode, "Michael's Last Dundies". [1] The episode featured guest appearances from Will Ferrell and Jack Coleman, and Andy Buckley appeared in a deleted scene. [b]

"Goodbye, Michael" was met with critical acclaim from critics and fans and is considered one of the best episodes of The Office. The later seasons that followed this airing, especially the eighth season, as well as the last few episodes of the seventh season, received criticism for a decline in quality, and multiple critics believed that the episode could have served as a potential series finale. In a poll conducted by fansite OfficeTally, the episode was named the best episode of the seventh season. The episode was viewed by 8.416 million viewers and received a 4.2 rating/11% share in the 18–49 demographic, making it the third-highest-rated episode of the season among adults between ages 18 and 49. It later received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Carell and Daniels' work on the episode.

KUAM in Guam aired the episode on Sunday, May 1, 2011, due to the Royal Wedding, which aired the next morning on most NBC Stations, preempting the episode. [2]

Synopsis

Michael Scott arrives at work for what he claims is his second-to-last day before he moves to Colorado to live with his fiancée, Holly Flax. As the day progresses, he tries to have an individual goodbye with each employee. A phone call with Holly reveals that this is his last day, and he is flying out to Colorado that night. After having a few mini-crises, including getting cold feet, he starts to break down, terrified of leaving his employees, but regains his composure after speaking with Holly. Pam Halpert leaves the office to supposedly run errands, but actually takes a break from the workday to see The King's Speech before Michael can say his goodbye to her.

Andy Bernard is given Michael's client list as a going-away present, much to the shock and envy of the other salesmen, and after losing one, requests the help of Deangelo Vickers to retain them. Deangelo nearly ruins a relationship with a client but Andy gains enough confidence to salvage the sale. Along the way, Deangelo reveals that he was not hired for his business experience, but because he helped prevent the theft of one of Sabre CEO Jo Bennett's dogs. Meanwhile, Dwight is antagonistic towards Michael, still bitter over Michael not recommending him for a manager position, despite Michael's attempts to reconcile. He initially expresses disdain for Michael's going-away present, a recommendation letter, but appears touched as he reads that Michael genuinely considered him a friend. He also discovers a card challenging him to a paintball match, and the two play behind the building.

Gabe Lewis is taking Erin Hannon's public breakup badly. He makes several threats against Andy, who had dated Erin before she dated Gabe, and even follows Erin into the women's bathroom to make his case, much to the disdain of Creed Bratton. Michael advises Erin that she does not necessarily need to choose Andy or Gabe, and that she will know when the right guy comes along.

Jim Halpert deduces over the course of the day that Michael is leaving early and confronts him about it. Michael admits his plans and begins a personal goodbye but breaks down. Jim, trying to hold back tears, in turn says that Michael was the best boss he ever had, and they jokingly promise to have a proper goodbye over lunch the next day. Michael's cab to the airport arrives, and Michael silently departs after one last look at the employees. His cab pulls out of the parking lot just as Pam is pulling in. At Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, Michael asks the camera crew to inform him if the documentary ever airs, then turns over his microphone, quipping one last "That's what she said" about how good it will feel to "get this thing [the mic] off [his] chest." He begins to walk off when Pam makes it past security and runs up to him. They hug twice and exchange unheard goodbyes. Pam says in an interview that Michael was not sad, that he was hopeful and excited to start his new life with Holly. Pam stands at the gate and watches Michael's plane take off.

In the epilogue, the entire staff waits in the conference room for Michael to arrive for his farewell party, unaware he has already left, with the exception of Jim and Pam. When Deangelo deduces Michael is not coming, he begins tearing pieces off Michael's farewell cake, which he had been debating whether to eat the previous day, and throwing them in the trash, in a bizarre public internal struggle over his dieting. The rest of the staff, particularly Jim and Dwight, watch their new boss's outburst with concern.

Production

"Goodbye, Michael" marks Steve Carell's last appearance as a regular on The Office Steve Carell 2010.jpg
"Goodbye, Michael" marks Steve Carell's last appearance as a regular on The Office

"Goodbye, Michael" was written by series developer and executive producer Greg Daniels, his 10th writing credit of the series. The episode was directed by Paul Feig, marking his 14th credit for the series. On June 28, 2010, it was confirmed that the seventh season of The Office would be Steve Carell's last. [3] He had previously announced this while being interviewed on BBC Radio. [4] "I just think it's time... I want to fulfill my contract. When I first signed on I had a contract for seven seasons, and this coming year is my seventh. I just thought it was time for my character to go," Carell was quoted as saying. [3] In January 2011, it was announced that Carell would exit the show early, four episodes before the end of the season. [5] A few weeks after this announcement came the news that Will Ferrell, who previously starred alongside Carell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy , had signed on to appear in a four-episode arc as a Dunder Mifflin branch manager who temporarily takes Michael Scott's position in Scranton. [6] To help ease the transition, Ferrell appeared in Carell's final three episodes as well as one additional episode after he departs. [6]

The writers had gone through different scenarios on how Michael would leave with one suggestion being that he was fired due to a business mistake. [7] They ultimately decided that ending would not be "as much fun for the viewers". [7] According to Daniels, the cast members became "very emotional" while filming on set and would often be "sadder than their characters were supposed to be". [8] Andy Buckley confirmed filming a scene saying goodbye to Michael as David Wallace; however, these scenes were deleted from the network airing. When the episode re-aired three weeks later, it was split into two parts, and Wallace's scene was inserted into the first part. [9] Steve Carell finished filming his final scenes for "Goodbye, Michael" on March 4, 2011. [10] As a goodbye gift, Carell was given a hockey jersey with the #1—his number on the call sheet. [8] After Carell's departure the number was no longer used. [8] The episode ran for an extended 50 minutes instead of the usual 30 minutes. [1] The episode marks the first extended episode since the third season penultimate episode, "Beach Games". [11] Greg Daniels stated in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that due to Ferrell's performance and Michael's goodbyes, the episode "ended up being real long". [8] NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt allowed Daniels to "do whatever is best [...] to give Steve [Carell] the proper goodbye. [8]

In May 2018, Fischer revealed via Instagram what Pam and Michael said in their farewell scene. "That was me talking to Steve [Carell]. I told him all the ways I was going to miss him when he left our show. Those were real tears and a real goodbye." [12]

During production, a scene involving Michael and Stanley was cut. In the scene, Michael attempts to do one last crossword with Stanley "as brothers", but Stanley refuses. Michael insists, however, and ends up making him drop the book, only to reveal that the crossword book was in fact filled with ecchi manga. Defending himself, Stanley simply says "It's called hentai. And it's art." The scene has since evolved into an Internet meme, possibly due to Stanley's calm response to the incident.

Cultural references

"Goodbye, Michael" features several references to previous episodes. During one scene, Michael puts his Dundie on his desk, a homage to the final shot in the series opening sequence. [13] Michael's obsession with basketball and wanting to use the baler serves as a reference to the season 1 episode, "Basketball" and the season three episode "Safety Training", respectively. [13] [14] Michael's character Ping appears, having previously appeared in "The Dundies" and "The Seminar." [13] It also featured the reforming of the Party Planning Committee after being broken up in "Moroccan Christmas", and briefly showed Creed's continual habit of using the women's bathroom as seen in "Women's Appreciation". [13] [15] Michael gives Darryl his book "Somehow I Manage", which was originally mentioned in "Happy Hour." [14] Two callbacks are made to the episode "Christmas Party": Phyllis' gift to Michael being homemade sewn mittens and Dwight wanting to play paintball with Michael. [14] Michael's goodbye to Pam serves as a homage to a scene in the British version of The Office , in which Tim Canterbury proclaims his love for Dawn Tinsley in a meeting room, but Tim turns off his microphone first so the cameras pick up only their reactions and no sound. [16] This scene was also referenced in the fifth season finale, "Company Picnic". [16]

Reception

Ratings

"Goodbye, Michael" originally aired on April 28, 2011, in a 50-minute timeslot from 9 p.m. ET to 9:50 p.m. ET. [8] Nielsen ratings were expected to be high since it was Carell's last episode and also due to the extended timeslot with 22.66% of readers of TV by the Numbers predicting the episode would receive above a 6.0 rating in the 18–49 demographic. [17] In fact, the episode was viewed by an estimated 8.416 million viewers and received a 4.2 rating/11% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. [18] This means that it was seen by 4.2% of all 18- to 49-year-olds, and 11% of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. This represented a 26% ratings increase from the previous episode, "Michael's Last Dundies". [18] [19] This made the episode the most-watched episode of the season and the third-highest-rated episode of the season after "Ultimatum" and "Nepotism" in the 18–49 demo. [18] The episode ranked first in its timeslot beating Grey's Anatomy , CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Bones . [20] "Goodbye, Michael" was the most-watched scripted show for the week of broadcast among adults aged 18–49 and the second highest-rated NBC program after The Voice . [21] Added with DVR viewers, "Goodbye, Michael" received a 5.9 rating marking a 37 percent rise from the original viewership. [22] The first half-hour of the producer's cut received a 2.76 million viewers, and a 1.1 rating/3% share in the 18–49 demographic, while the second half-hour attained 2 million viewers and a 0.9 rating/3% share in the 18–49 demographic. [23]

Reviews

No one seems to nail these characters like Daniels does. It was a daunting challenge to write off Michael in a way that was emotionally satisfying, true to the spirit of the show, but also funny. Daniels expertly walked that tightrope, and threw in some treats for longtime fans as well.

Cindy White, IGN [13]

"Goodbye, Michael" was met with critical acclaim and is considered one of the best episodes of The Office by critics and fans. Cindy White of IGN said that overall the episode was "one of those historic television moments". [13] She went on to praise the character's awareness of the camera crew along with Michael saying his goodbyes to the staff. [13] She ultimately gave the episode a 9 out of 10. [13] The A.V. Club writer Myles McNutt considered the episode to be a classic and praised Greg Daniels choice of showing "their [fans] Michael Scott". [24] He ultimately gave the episode an A. [24] TV Squad writer Joel Keller wrote the episode felt like the series finale and that "As final episodes go, this one was a mixed bag". [25] Entertainment Weekly's Hillary Busis praised Carell's performance. [26] HitFix writer Daniel Feinberg wrote that while the episode "wasn't flawless" it was "an appropriate disentanglement". [27] Despite this, he criticized the episode for proving the point that the show could not survive without Michael. [27] Despite this he complimented the performance of the supporting actors. [27] New York writer Phoebe Reilly slightly criticized Pam's silent goodbye to Michael. [28] Despite this, she said, Dwight's tears in his talking head and Jim's goodbye to Michael "achieved the bearable level of poignancy". [28] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone praised the ending of the episode and the reference to the original British version of The Office. [16] BuddyTV writer Meghan Carlson called Oscar's scarecrow gift scene the best moment of the episode. [29] HitFix reviewer Alan Sepinwall called the episode "a pretty fantastic tribute to that man on his way out the door." [15]

Will Ferrell's performance received mixed reviews from critics. Rob Sheffield called his performance "pure magic", [16] while Miles McNutt said that his scenes were a "momentum killer". [24] Cindy White criticized the writers for waiting for Ferrell's second-to last episode to give his character a "juicy quirk". [13] Soon after the episode's airdate, the series received publicity for a possible storyline featuring Phyllis as Erin's birth mother. [30] [31] The rumor was started during an interview with executive producer Greg Daniels with Entertainment Weekly in which he stated "A tiny mystery story – which I'm not sure anyone’s going to catch and will come out a few episodes from now – is being set up here". [8] This was further explored in the seventh season finale, "Search Committee", in which the possibility was disproven. [32]

The episode has also been put on several top ten lists for 2011. Time reviewer James Poniewozik named the episode the second-best television episode of 2011 calling the episode "pitch-perfect". [33] The A.V. Club named the episode among the top 2011 TV highlights. [34] David Sims wrote that "Although every member of the ensemble gets a moment in the sun, Michael’s silent airport farewell to Pam [...] works best of all, a testament to the audience's deep understanding of these characters". [34] Daniel Feinberg named Carell's final episodes for The Office the 20th-best television episodes of 2011, although he only named Carell's final episodes under the banner. [35] He mainly praised Carell's performance for switching from laughs to sadness with nuance. [35] TV Guide named the episode the twelfth-best episode of 2011 and compared the episode to the humor of the series calling it "understated and pitch-perfect". [36] "Goodbye, Michael" was voted the highest-rated episode out of 24 from the season, according to an episode poll by the fansite, OfficeTally. [37] In another poll, the episode was voted the fourth highest-rated episode of the series, out of 139, receiving 403 votes. [38]

Awards and recognition

Greg Daniels, who wrote the script, received a nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. [39] Steve Carell had also submitted this episode for consideration for his nomination for Outstanding Lead in a Comedy Series. [40] Daniels eventually lost to Jeffrey Richman and Steven Levitan of Modern Family for the episode "Caught in the Act", while Carell lost to Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory . [41] Office star Rainn Wilson expressed anger on Twitter at the academy for these decisions, saying "The world of TV should be ashamed of itself that Steve Carell never won an Emmy for Michael Gary Scott. Goodnight." [42] Former Office writer Michael Schur and director Paul Feig also criticized this choice with Schur calling it a "goddamn fucking embarrassment". [43] Daniels had also received a nomination for the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Comedy, but once again lost to Richman and Levitan. [44] [45]

Notes

  1. 1 2 A re-edited version on Amazon Prime Video shows the episode as a two-parter.
  2. ↑ This scene was included in re-edited versions of this episode. [a]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Daniels</span> American writer, producer, and director (born 1963)

Gregory Martin Daniels is an American screenwriter, television producer, and director. He has worked on several television series, including writing for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons, adapting The Office for the United States, and co-creating Parks and Recreation and King of the Hill. Daniels attended Harvard University, where he befriended and began collaborating with Conan O'Brien. His first writing credit was for Not Necessarily the News, before he was laid off because of budget cuts.

The Office is an American mockumentary sitcom television series based on the 2001–2003 BBC series of the same name created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Adapted for NBC by Greg Daniels, a veteran writer for Saturday Night Live, King of the Hill, and The Simpsons, the show depicts the everyday work lives of the office employees at Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, and aired from March 24, 2005, to May 16, 2013, with a total of nine seasons consisting of 201 episodes. The show was co-produced by Daniels' Deedle-Dee Productions, Reveille Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment in association with Universal Television. The original executive producers were Daniels, Gervais, Merchant, Howard Klein and Ben Silverman, with numerous others being promoted in later seasons.

"The Client" is the seventh episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's thirteenth episode overall. Written by Paul Lieberstein, who also acts in the show as Toby Flenderson, and directed by Greg Daniels, the episode first aired in the United States on November 8, 2005, on NBC.

"Casino Night" is the second season finale of the American comedy television series The Office and the twenty-eighth episode overall. Written by Steve Carell, who also acts in the show as Michael Scott, and directed by Ken Kwapis, the episode originally aired in the United States on May 11, 2006, on NBC. The episode guest stars Nancy Carell as Carol Stills and Melora Hardin as Jan Levinson.

"Gay Witch Hunt" is the third-season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's twenty-ninth episode overall. Written by executive producer and show runner Greg Daniels and directed by Ken Kwapis, the episode first aired in the United States on September 21, 2006, on NBC.

"Dinner Party" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's sixty-sixth episode overall. Written by the writing team of Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky and directed by Paul Feig, the episode originally aired on NBC on April 10, 2008. Guest stars in the episode include Beth Grant, Steve Seagren, and Gary Weeks.

<i>The Office</i> (American TV series) season 4 Season of television series

The fourth season of the American television comedy The Office premiered in the United States on NBC on September 27, 2007, and concluded on May 15, 2008. The season consisted of 9 half-hour episodes, and 5 hour-long episodes to comprise the 19 total episodes of material created. The Office is an American adaptation of the British TV series of the same name, and is presented in a mockumentary format, portraying the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The season was originally set to include 30 episodes, but due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, production was called to a halt, in result, the season was shortened to 19 episodes. It stars Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and B. J. Novak, with supporting performances from Melora Hardin, Ed Helms, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, Craig Robinson, and Phyllis Smith.

"Goodbye, Toby" is the fourth season hour-long finale of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's seventy-first and seventy-second episodes overall. Written by Paul Lieberstein and Jennifer Celotta, and directed by Paul Feig, the episode first aired in the United States on May 15, 2008, on NBC.

<i>The Office</i> (American TV series) season 5 Season of television series

The fifth season of the American television comedy The Office premiered in the United States in the 2008–2009 television season on NBC on September 25, 2008 and concluded on May 14, 2009. The fifth season consisted of 28 half-hours of material, divided into 24 half-hour episodes and two hour-long episodes. The Office is an American adaptation of the British TV series, and is presented in a mockumentary format, portraying the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The season stars Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and B. J. Novak, with supporting performances from Ed Helms, Melora Hardin, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, Craig Robinson, and Phyllis Smith.

"Company Picnic" is the fifth season finale of the American comedy television series The Office and the 100th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 14, 2009. In the episode, Michael plans to win back his ex-girlfriend Holly at a Dunder Mifflin company picnic, while the rest of the Scranton office get involved in a competitive company volleyball tournament.

<i>The Office</i> (American TV series) season 6 Season of television series

The sixth season of the American television comedy The Office premiered in the United States on NBC on September 17, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2010. The season consisted of 22 half-hour episodes, and 2 hour-long episodes to comprise the 26 total episodes of material created. The Office is an American adaptation of the British TV series, and is presented in a mockumentary format, portraying the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The season stars Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B. J. Novak, and Ed Helms, with supporting performances from Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Ellie Kemper, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, Craig Robinson, and Phyllis Smith.

<i>The Office</i> (American TV series) season 7 Season of television series

The seventh season of the American television comedy The Office premiered on September 23, 2010 and concluded on May 19, 2011 on NBC. The season consisted of 26 half-hours of material, divided into 22 half-hour episodes and two hour-long episodes. The seventh season aired on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. (ET) as part of Comedy Night Done Right. It stars Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B. J. Novak, and Ed Helms, with supporting performances from Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Ellie Kemper, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nunez, Craig Robinson, Phyllis Smith, Zach Woods, and Amy Ryan. This was the last season to feature Michael Scott, played by Carell, as the lead character. The seventh season was released on DVD and Blu-ray in region 1 on September 6, 2011.

"Christening" is the seventh episode of the seventh season of the American version of the comedy television series The Office and the show's 133rd episode overall. Written by Peter Ocko and directed by Alex Hardcastle, the episode aired on November 4, 2010 on NBC in the United States. The episode guest stars Linda Purl as Helene Beesly, Rick Overton as William Beesly, Robert Pine as Mr. Halpert, Perry Smith as Betsy Halpert, Bobby Ray Shafer as Bob Vance, and Peggy Stewart as Sylvia.

"Training Day" is the twentieth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 146th episode overall. It originally aired on NBC on April 14, 2011. The episode was written by Daniel Chun and directed by Paul Lieberstein. This episode marks the first appearance of Deangelo Vickers in the series.

"Michael's Last Dundies" is the twenty-first episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 147th episode overall. It originally aired on NBC on April 21, 2011. The episode was written and directed by co-executive producer Mindy Kaling. "Michael's Last Dundies" guest stars Will Ferrell as Deangelo Vickers and Jack Coleman as State Senator Robert Lipton.

"The Inner Circle" is the twenty-fourth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 149th episode overall. The episode originally aired on May 5, 2011, on NBC. The episode also marked Will Ferrell's final appearance as Deangelo, having signed up for four episodes. Cody Horn also makes her first guest appearance for the series as Jordan Garfield.

"Search Committee" is the two-part finale of the seventh season of the American television comedy series The Office. It comprises the 151st and 152nd episodes of the series overall and the 25th and 26th episodes of the seventh season. It originally aired on NBC on May 19, 2011 in the United States. In the episode, Deangelo's replacement is sought out through a search committee process led by Jim. Meanwhile, Angela becomes engaged to her state senator boyfriend, Robert, while the rest of the office believes he is gay.

"Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager" is the twenty-fourth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 150th episode overall. The episode was written by Justin Spitzer and directed by Troy Miller. It originally aired in the United States on May 12, 2011 on NBC. The episode also features guest appearances from Kathy Bates, Cody Horn and Michael Schur.

<i>The Office</i> (American TV series) season 9 Season of television series

The ninth and final season of the American television comedy The Office premiered on NBC on September 20, 2012, and concluded on May 16, 2013, consisting of 25 episodes. The Office is an American adaptation of the British comedy series, and is presented in a mockumentary format, portraying the daily lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictitious Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The ninth season of The Office aired on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. (Eastern) in the United States, as part of the Comedy Night Done Right television block. It stars Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, and Ed Helms, with supporting performances from Catherine Tate, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Creed Bratton, Clark Duke, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Ellie Kemper, Angela Kinsey, Jake Lacy, Paul Lieberstein, B. J. Novak, Oscar Nunez, Craig Robinson, and Phyllis Smith. This is the second season not to star Steve Carell as lead character Michael Scott, although he returned for a cameo appearance in the series finale.

"Finale" is the series finale of the American comedy television series The Office. It serves as the 24th and 25th episodes of the ninth season, and the 200th and 201st episodes of the series overall. The episode was written by series developer and executive producer Greg Daniels and directed by Ken Kwapis, who directed the series' pilot episode. It originally aired on NBC on May 16, 2013, preceded by an hour-long series retrospective.

References

  1. 1 2 Ausiello, Michael (April 11, 2011). "Steve Carell's Office Farewell Just Got Bigger". TV Line. Archived from the original on June 24, 2011. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Royal Wedding Preempts KUAM Line Up". KUAM. April 28, 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Dos Santos, Kristin (June 28, 2010). "Steve Carell Confirms He's Leaving The Office—but Show May Go On". E! Online. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  4. ↑ Stransky, Tanner (June 28, 2010). "Steve Carell on 'Office' exit: 'It's a good time to move on' | Inside TV | EW.com". Insidetv.ew.com. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  5. ↑ Hall, Jaty (January 14, 2011). "Steve Carell Leaving 'The Office' Early". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  6. 1 2 Fleming, Mike (January 26, 2011). "Will Ferrell Helping Steve Carell's Exit From 'The Office' With Four-Episode Arc". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  7. 1 2 Keller, Joel (August 24, 2010). "Paul Lieberstein of 'The Office' Talks About Replacing Steve Carell". AOL TV. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Snierson, Dan (April 28, 2011). "'The Office': Exec producer Greg Daniels on the departure of Steve Carell and tonight's farewell episode, 'Goodbye, Michael' – EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  9. ↑ McAuliffe, Josh (April 26, 2011). "'The Office' retires Michael Scott; Colleagues share emotional goodbye". The Times-Tribune. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  10. ↑ Franich, Darren (March 4, 2011). "Steve Carell finishes filming on 'The Office' today". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
  11. ↑ Greg Daniels Jennifer Celotta (writer) Harold Ramis (director) (May 10, 2011). "Beach Games". The Office. Season 3. Episode 23. NBC.
  12. ↑ Loughrey, Clarisse (May 3, 2018). "Jenna Fischer reveals what Pam said to Michael in the US Office and why it was so emotional". The Independent . Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 White, Cindy (April 29, 2011). "The Office: "Goodbye, Michael" Review". IGN. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  14. 1 2 3 Daniels, Greg (writer) (September 6, 2011). The Office: Season Seven – "Goodbye, Michael" commentary (DVD). Universal Home Video.
  15. 1 2 Sepinwall, Alan (May 2, 2011). "Review: The Office – Goodbye Michael: And goodbye Steve Carell". HitFix . Retrieved August 28, 2011.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Sheffield, Rob (April 29, 2011). "Goodbye, Michael Scott: Steve Carell Has Left the Building". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 2, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  17. ↑ Gorman, Bill (April 28, 2011). "How Big Will Ratings Get For Steve Carell's Last 'Office'? (Poll) – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  18. 1 2 3 Gorman, Bill (April 29, 2011). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Idol,' 'Grey's,' 'Big Bang,' 'CSI,' '20/20′ Adjusted Up; 'Community' Down + 'Office,' 'Parks & Rec' Finals". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on May 2, 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  19. ↑ Seidman, Robert (April 22, 2011). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Vampire Diaries,' 'American Idol' Adjusted Up; 'Community,' 'Parks & Recreation' Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 27, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  20. ↑ Gorman, Bill (April 29, 2011). "TV Ratings Thursday: 'American Idol' Tops; Final Carell 'Office' Up, 'Rules,' 'CSI' Hit Lows". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  21. ↑ Seidman, Robert (May 3, 2011). "TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25: 'American Idol,' 'The Voice,' 'The Office,' 'Dancing with the Stars,' 'The Mentalist' Top Week 32 Viewing". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on May 7, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
  22. ↑ Gorman, Bill (May 16, 2011). "Live+7 DVR Ratings: Final Carell 'Office' Tops Absolute Gains, Again 'Fringe' Tops % Gains – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 18, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
  23. ↑ Gorman, Bill (May 27, 2011). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'So You Think You Can Dance' Adjusted Up – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  24. 1 2 3 McNutt, Myles (April 28, 2011). "Goodbye, Michael". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  25. ↑ Keller, Joel (April 28, 2011). "'The Office' Says Goodbye to Steve Carell – Recap". TV Squad. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  26. ↑ Busis, Hillary (April 29, 2011). "The Office recap: The Long Goodbye". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  27. 1 2 3 Fienberg, Daniel (April 29, 2011). "The Office bids appropriate farewell to Steve Carell, Michael Scott". HitFix. Archived from the original on May 2, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  28. 1 2 Reilly, Phoebe (April 29, 2011). "The Office Recap: No More Drama". NY Mag. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  29. ↑ Carlson, Meghan (April 29, 2011). "'The Office': My 5 Favorite Moments from Michael's Big Farewell". BuddyTV. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  30. ↑ Mitovich, Matt Webb (April 29, 2011). "Office Gossip: Are Phyllis and Erin Mother and Daughter?". TVLine. Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  31. ↑ Kubicek, John (April 29, 2011). "'The Office' Mystery: Phyllis and Erin's Big Secret". BuddyTV. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  32. ↑ Paul Lieberstein (writer) Jeffrey Blitz (director) (May 19, 2011). "Search Committee". The Office. Season 7. Episode 26. NBC.
  33. ↑ Poniewozik, James (December 7, 2011). "Top 10 TV Episodes". Time . Archived from the original on December 8, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  34. 1 2 The A.V. Club Staff (December 22, 2011). "Beyond the Top 30: other 2011 TV highlights". The A.V. Club . Retrieved December 22, 2011.
  35. 1 2 Fienberg, Daniel (December 24, 2011). "The Fien Prints TV Second 10 of 2011". HitFix . Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  36. ↑ "2011's Best Episodes: Michael Scott Signs Off, Community Gets Chaotic – Today's News: Our Take". TV Guide . December 27, 2011. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  37. ↑ "Survivor Poll: Season 7". OfficeTally. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  38. ↑ "The Office All-Time Fan Favorite Poll, 2011". 24 September 2011.
  39. ↑ "2011 Primetime Emmy Awards Nominees" (PDF). ATAS . July 14, 2011. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
  40. ↑ "'Goodbye, Michael' = Hello, Emmy for Steve Carell? - latimes.com". The Los Angeles Times . July 21, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  41. ↑ "2011 Primetime Emmy Awards Winners – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers". TV by the Numbers. September 18, 2011. Archived from the original on September 24, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  42. ↑ "Rainn Wilson Tweets Steve Carell Emmy Snub Anger". The Huffington Post . September 19, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  43. ↑ "The Office Emmys post, 2011". OfficeTally. 18 September 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  44. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (December 7, 2011). "WGA TV Awards Noms: 'Breaking Bad', 'Modern Family', 'Boardwalk Empire' & 'Homeland' Lead –". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  45. ↑ Gorman, Bill (February 20, 2012). "2012 Writers Guild Awards Winners Announced: 'Modern Family,' 'Breaking Bad,' 'Homeland' & More – Ratings | TVbytheNumbers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.