Ever since The Office came to an end, fans have been asking for a reboot. It seems like that might come to fruition but for the time being, fans still have many other episodes to look back on.
In the eyes of many fans, The Office came to an end following Steve Carell's exit from the show. Although he was brought back for the finale, Goodbye, Michael will always be viewed as his final episode.
In the following, we're going to take a closer look at Carell's final stages on the show as Michael Scott, and all the emotions involved. Saying goodbye wasn't easy for Carell, and that was especially true during a certain scene after the cast when off-script with a song. We'll reveal Carell's reaction to it all, and how the rest of the cast reacted to his farewell.
Steve Carell Revealed The Timing Of His Departure On The Office Was Perfect
Michael Scott's exit from The Office was not a fan favorite moment, and the same held true for the cast behind the scenes. Carell's peers had a tough time shooting his final episode, and the same held true for the actor. However, speaking alongside the Office Ladies Podcast, Carell revealed that the timing of his exit was right, and it made way for new storylines.
"It was time for other characters to step to the forefront and other storylines to be pursued," Carell, reveals.
"I think it was the right .... The timing was right, I think for everybody but simultaneously there's just a sense of joy for me that we had experienced all of this and we were getting... I was getting a chance to take a lap with everybody. And the way those last two episodes were structured, it felt very rich to me to simultaneously be saying goodbye as Michael and us as friends in this moment of work together. But, yeah, it was a lot, it was a very emotional thing."
His final episodes were tough, and a particular moment made the departure that much more difficult.
Steve Carell Was Blindsided By The 9,986,000 Minutes Song During His Farewell
It is known as the farewell song, '9,986,000 minutes', which was completely altered for Michael Scott following his final Dundies. The episode takes an emotional twist with the song, and it was later revealed that the actor wasn't told about this particular part. The tears from Carell during the scene are absolutely genuine.
With more than 4.1 million views, fans had a lot to say about the emotional scene. Especially given that it was all improv work.
One fan writes, "The fact that Angela is smiling and Stanley laughed at "I watch you when you sleep" really shows that this was actually the actors saying goodbye to Steve Carell. That and the fact that he didn't know about it before filming."
Another fan notes, "The script that Steve got didn't include the song, it ended with Andy giving him the award. Everything you see on Steve's face is his genuine reaction. If you watch all of the actors, you can see their genuine reactions to Steve leaving. Simultaneously heartbreaking and beautiful."
An iconic scene and one that is that much better given that the emotions were all unscripted.
The Cast Of The Office Were Also Very Emotional During Steve Carell's Final Episode
Although Carell did return for the finale, his true send-off takes place during the Goodbye, Michael episode. Everyone on-set was very emotional on the day. Angela Kinsey reflected on the moment.
"It was just hitting us in waves I remember. We would laugh one minute and then be tearing up the next. But like you said, it was because we'd had such a good run, we'd had such a good time."
Speaking with Yahoo Entertainment, Oscar Nunez also agreed that the shoot was extremely difficult for the cast.
"It was like, 'Wow, the show's over, and now we're going to do another show without Steve,'" fan favorite Oscar Nunez told Yahoo Entertainment in 2021. "Someone's going to come in and be the boss. The Office was over: Steve left, and now it's another show. It was fun, meeting those people was great, but when Steve left, it was very sad"
He continues, "People were crying all over the place. It was very emotional."
Showrunner Greg Daniels eventually stepped in and tried putting the cast back in order, "This is a comedy show, you can't cry in every scene with Steve! Try to care a little bit less.'"
With rumors starting to swirl about a possible reboot, fans are instantly linking the return of Michael Scott, something all fans would want to see if a reboot is indeed to take place.
