The Office: 15 Memorable Goodbye Episodes
Really great sitcoms don’t die. They head to Netflix where every season lives on in perpetuity, commercial free, or at least they used to. Netflix’s most streamed show, the workplace comedy The Office, which originally aired on NBC (2005-2013), will move to NBCUniversal’s own streaming service beginning January 2020.
This means Netflix subscribers have less than a year to binge-watch the antics of the staff of the most dysfunctional fictitious paper company to ever not actually exist, as if it wasn’t tough enough to bid adieu to the motley crew the first time around.
We’re not going to dive into the debate about what this means for Netflix moving forward, or if fans of the show will follow. In the midst of all the mind-numbing chatter about the future of streaming services, one important thing is being forgotten: the innocent hit sitcom caught in the custody battle.
There doesn’t seem to be a more fitting or appropriate tribute to pay to the series than to revisit the 15 most memorable goodbye episodes (of various types!) of The Office. Here are our picks, in chronological order:
1. Halloween (Season 2 Episode 5)
The Office Season 2 Episode 5, “Halloween,” is filled with tricks and treats. It’s a bag full of little goodies that really encapsulates what makes The Office great.
Sometimes it’s not important who leaves a show but how. Michael’s pathological need to be liked rather than respected is really in the forefront as he tries to find a way to fire an employee but is fearful of the repercussions.
As usual, Michael’s attempts to evade his responsibilities makes a bad situation worse. We’ve barely notice shots of Creed or Devon in the background in early episodes, so we aren’t supposed to care about what happens if either man walks out the door. It’s Michael’s ineptitude as a boss that makes him so bad at his job that it’s fun for viewers.
We do feel for Michael as his fears of pushback from the person on the chopping block results in his car covered in pumpkin innards.
It’s hard not to have sympathy for Michael who so desperately tries to be accepted but fails miserably at every turn. We also see how his failings way more heavily on him than he lets on.
2. Gay Witch Hunt (Season 3 Episode 1)
On The Office Season 3 Episode 1, “Gay Witch Hunt,” cements Michael as a human resource professional’s worst nightmare. The Office touches upon real workplace dilemmas –being sensitive about the language we use — but makes it funny.
Michael: The company has made it my responsibility today to put an end to 100,000 years of being weirded out by gays.
Michael can be racist, sexist, and homophobic, but his attitude and remarks don’t come from a place of hatred, it’s sheer stupidity. The real absurdity occurs when Michael tries to educate the office on topics he himself knows nothing about, resulting in equal parts cringeworthy and hysterical interactions.
Michael learns nothing from his day of managerial dont’s, and he’s not the only one who has issues with Oscar’s sexuality, and viewers catch a glimpse at the challenges facing members of the LGBTQ community to this day minus any heavy-handedness.
At least after enduring a day rife with humiliation, Oscar gets a three month paid vacation. Luckily, this is only a temporary goodbye.
3. Branch Closing (Season 3 Episode 7)
There’s never any doubt the Scranton Branch will remain intact on The Office Season 3 Episode 7, “Branch Closing.”
Every character’s reaction to the possibility of a Dunder Mifflin-free existence varies, ranging from angry and indignant (Michael) to relief (Stanley). It’s a great episode that illustrates the tenuousness of office friendships or even office romances.
Viewers don’t care about Josh Porter’s exit or the demise of the Stamford branch, but it’s hard not to be excited about Jim’s long-awaited return to Scranton, and who will be going with him.
The writers take a storyline put in place on The Office Season 1 Episode 1 and simultaneously see it through to its conclusion while making it a catalyst for complex interpersonal relationships moving forward on Season 3.
4. The Merger (Season 3 Episode 8)
On The Office Season 3 Episode 8, “The Merger,” all of Michael’s insecurities come out as he welcomes the transfers from the Stamford Branch.
After watching Michael’s antics for two seasons, it’s a nice contrast to introduce some outsiders who resemble the people who sit in the cubicles next to yours. More importantly, we’re dying to see how they handle Michael who takes the extra responsibility and runs wild with it.
Naturally, most of the new crew are red shirts, and after being subjected to Michael’s mortifying idea of orientation, one, Anthony Gardner, taps out day one, reinforcing Michael’s fear of rejection. This also sets the tone for Michael’s relationship with his new employees and paves the way for even more departures.
Not every goodbye involves someone physically leaving. On “The Merger,” Jim gives Pam the brush-off, and fans figure out they must bid a fond farewell to this ship as sails off into the night.
5. Traveling Salesman (Season 3 Episode 12)
On The Office Season 3 Episode 12, “Traveling Salesman,” Andy’s scheming turns the tables on Dwight in a way that makes viewers feel compassion for the nonsensical beet farmer.
Dwight Schrute’s sycophantic behavior serves as an amalgam for by-the-books office workers everywhere. There’s an innate obnoxiousness about someone who enjoys not only following the rules but enforcing them.
Dwight’s one failing as Michael’s right hand is his own ambitions, a problem that doesn’t plague up-and-coming acolyte Andy Bernard. In the ongoing battle between Andy and Dwight, it’s shocking to see Andy prevail.
As usual, it’s difficult to generate much of a reaction from the rest of the Dunder Mifflin crew as they are often indifferent to the comings and goings of any of their co-workers. Dwight utters a stoic goodbye, leaving what’s left of his dignity at the door.
6. Dinner Party (Season 4 Episode 9)
It’s not very often the series ventures outside the office, but to truly understand how deeply dysfunctional Jan and Michael’s relationship is, we have to see them in their natural habitat.
The Office Season 4 Episode 9, “Dinner Party,” dabbles in some of the series’ darkest humor as Michael’s “friends” and employees witness a spectacular display of passive-aggressiveness, and Jan and Michael’s relationship self-destructs over osso bucco.
Beneath every “Babe,” they are seething, consumed by their intense dislike for one another. There is, of course, a very public display of dissatisfaction before we say goodbye to Jan and Michael as a couple forever. Most endings are sad, but this one makes their dinner guests and viewers breathe a sigh of relief.
7. Goodbye, Toby (Season 4 Episode 14)
When one human resources representative moves to Costa Rica after an embarrassing incident at work, another door opens on The Office Season 4 Episode 14, “Goodbye, Toby.”
The Office had a gift for taking the most mundane events — an employee leaving — and turning it into something oddly epic.
How else can you explain a carnival in the parking lot paid for with shoe money? Michael’s enthusiasm regarding Toby’s impending departure is a testament to how much he genuinely hates the man for a reason we never fully grasp.
Every show aims to create season finales that are water-cooler-worthy, and The Office Season 4 is no exception, but those big moments get the series’ signature outrageous twists. Of course, poor, bland, overlooked Toby gets lost in the mix at his own going away party.
8. Employee Transfer (Season 5 Episode 6)
On The Office Season 5 Episode 6, “Employee Transfer,” Holly and Michael’s romance plays itself out over the course of a car ride.
This goodbye is actually a tough one since Holly really is Michael’s soulmate. His trainwreck of a relationship with Jan was for laughs; this one is all about heart.
Michael’s optimistic about a good outcome until the literal end of the road. Michael’s optimism about everything borders on delusional, so on the rare occasions when he’s hit in the face with cold, hard reality, it hurts us all.
The episode lingers in a serious place just long enough for viewers to grasp that Michael’s pain is no joke, but then the tone lightens up in time to let us know that everything will be okay.
9. Two Weeks (Season 5 Episode 21)
Part of The Office’s enduring popularity is that it remains relevant. For most people work is just a job, and we all dream of what it would be like to quit. The Office Season 5 Episode 21, “Two Weeks,” is what happens the morning after.
We wonder not only who would hire someone like Michael Scott, but how he manages to keep the job he’s had for so long.
Initially, there’s a sense of ambivalence all around, but, once again, Michael’s uncanny resilience leads the show in an unexpected direction. Unlike when someone leaves a show for good, viewers are left wondering how this person will return to the fold.
Props to The Office for landing Idris Elba (Luther) who plays the type of boss who strikes fear into the heart of his employees. The juxtaposition between him and Michael further amplifies Michael’s incompetence at a time when his future is so precarious.
Whether or not the ending is purposely paying homage to Jerry Maguire or not, the similarities are hard to ignore.
For Pam to put her future in Michael is a truly desperate act, and a surprisingly understandable one after working a mind-numbing, dead-end job for years. Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, a humiliated Michael always manages to rally.
10. Goodbye, Michael (Season 7 Episode 22)
Who thought one day there would be a Dunder Mifflin without Michael Scott, and how do you craft the perfect sendoff for the central character?
The Office Season 7 Episode 22, “Goodbye, Michael,” is just as flawed as Scranton’s long-time regional manager. His attempts at sentimentality sometimes fall flat, and other times, he gets it just right. That’s Michael Scott’s legacy: he’s a man whose life is a series of hits and misses.
Michael: The people you work with are just, when you get down to it, your very best friends.
But for a man who used to revel in drama and being the center of attention, Michael’s exit turns out to be surprisingly anti-climactic. There are still tears because those final scenes with Jim and Pam in particular. Michael and Pam’s parting plays out like the final moments of Lost in Translation — affectionate, intimate, and appropriate.
“Goodbye, Michael” proves when it comes to The Office, it’s just personal, not business.
11. New Guys (Season 9 Episode 1)
Even short and sweet goodbyes can be memorable. On The Office Season 9 Episode 1, “New Guys,” dysfunctional on-again, off-again couple Kelly and Ryan bid adieu to Dunder Mifflin.
Kelly goes out in style, believing she’s moving to Miami, Florida with her new boyfriend when she’s actually headed to Miami, Ohio. It’s a fitting end for a character who has a knack for being over-the-top emotional, brutally honest, utterly clueless, and completely disingenuous.
Hot on Kelly’s heels is Ryan whose circumstances are so reduced, all of his belongings are shoved in garbage bags. Ryan goes from temp, to terrible salesman, to corporate honcho, to criminal and continues his downward slide into hanging around with no real title at all.
Truthfully, Ryan’s final goodbye should be when he’s carted off in handcuffs for fraud, but this is good too.
12. The Boat (Season 9 Episode 6)
A family crisis and serious daddy issues cause a massive Andy meltdown on The Office Season 9 Episode 6, “The Boat.”
This is when viewers begin to suspect Andy and Erin aren’t the best match. The entire season is a lackluster one for Andy as he morphs from nice guy into self-involved jerk, and “The Boat” is the beginning of that journey as he sets sail with his alcoholic brother, abandoning his job, his responsibilities, and his devoted girlfriend.
Andy’s one enduring personality trait is his complete cluelessness when it comes to relationships of any kind, and that unflattering side of him really culminates as he heads off into the sunset completely … rudderless.
13. Livin’ the Dream (Season 9 Episode 21)
Andy Bernard goes completely off the rails on The Office Season 9, so when the time comes for him to leave Dunder Mifflin on The Office Season 9 Episode 21, “Livin’ the Dream,” it’s fitting his exit is such a disaster, he should be surrounded by orange safety cones.
The idea that no dream is too big or too small is an ongoing theme on The Office, and the biggest failing anyone can have is not going after what they want. But this is the only time when practically every single staff member encourages someone to stay, convinced his dream of “being famous” has failure written all over it.
On “Livin’ the Dream,” Andy commits a multitude of fireable infractions, including a particularly disturbing one which involves defecation. In spite of all of these self-imposed humiliations (is there any other kind when it comes to Andy?), he manages to go in grace thanks to his sweet acoustic performance of “I Will Remember You.”
14. A.A.R.M. (Season 9 Episode 22)
The Office Season 9 sees the departure of several characters before the series finale, but the best, by far, is the tribute to the ultra-cool Darryl.
On The Office Season 9 Episode 22, “A.A.R.M.,” Darryl finds himself accountable to his former co-workers for his Irish Goodbye. But a boring cake in the conference room isn’t Darryl’s style (or The Office’s). What better way for the smoothest guy to roll out than with a dance number?
Darryl: I wanted to leave quietly. It seemed dignified. But having Kevin grind up on my front while Erin pretends to hump me from behind is a more accurate tribute to my years here.
Like dance routines at weddings, this could have come off pretty cheesy, but it works because every dance move reflects the personality of the person performing it (we’ve seen Oscar voguing before). It’s entertaining and not overly-sentimental — just like Darryl.
15. Finale (Season 9 Episode 23)
It can be a thankless task to come up with a series finale for a beloved show like The Office. There has to be the perfect mix of nostalgia but also expectations for the characters’ futures.
Where are these people going? Do we think they’re going to be okay? Is there a chance we’ll see them again?
Pam: There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kind of the point?
The Office Season 9 Episode 23, “Finale,” addresses those questions not only for current cast members but previous ones as well. They may not have ended up where we had hoped, but they do end up where they’re meant to be.
More importantly, fans actually get to see some of those bizarre Schrute family traditions play out.
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Which goodbye from The Office hit you the hardest? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Jennifer Lind-Westbrook
Jennifer has been working as a freelance writer for six years, contributing to BuddyTV, Screen Rant, TVRage, Hidden Remote, Gossip On This, and PopMatters. She prefers binge-watching old episodes of The Office (British and American versions) to long walks on the beach. She's still holding out hope that Happy Endings will get a revival.