The Office Plotline That Convinced Steve Carell To Return For The Finale

When Steve Carell left “The Office,” it felt very much like one of the last nails in the series’ coffin. While the show took a marked turn for the worse after Carell’s departure, “The Office” had been struggling to recapture the magic of its earlier seasons for a while before its star bowed out at the end of the seventh season. As such, while it was bittersweet to see Michael go, it was understandable from Carell’s point of view. The actor had become a huge star in the wake of the show’s success, especially with several movie hits propelling his rise. Therefore, clinging on to a series that was starting to show signs of a decline didn’t seem like the best move. So, Steve Carell left “The Office” on April 28, 2011 in the emotional two-part episode “Goodbye, Michael,” and after that, the series was never the same — hardly surprising, seeing as Carell and his beloved bumbling boss was the centerpiece of the entire show. 

Some have claimed that Carell didn’t really want to leave “The Office,” but a change in executive leadership at NBC might have led to a miscommunication that left the actor feeling unwanted. The man himself, however, has claimed that he was “ready to go” at the time, telling The Office Ladies Podcast that “the timing was right, I think for everybody.” Whatever the case, Michael’s departure certainly seemed as though it wrapped up the character’s story in resolute terms, with Michael leaving for Colorado alongside the love of his life, Holly (Amy Ryan) and getting the happy ending he deserved.

As such, it makes sense that Carell was hesitant to return to the show he’d left behind when it came time for “The Office” series finale. But return he did. Why? Well, it was less about Michael and more about the show as a whole.

Steve Carell was as emotional as Michael Scott himself about leaving “The Office.” Those tears in “Goodbye, Michael Part 2” are as real as anything ever put to film. Considering there was some light controversy surrounding Carell’s departure, and the fact that it was clearly such an emotional moment for the star, it would make sense that he might not want to reprise the role for the series finale two years later. However, he was convinced to return as Dunder Mifflin’s former regional manager by show creator Greg Daniels.

“The Office” series finale, simply titled “Finale,” aired on May 16, 2013, and Carell’s return was kept under wraps from fans and press, making for a big surprise when the episode actually went out. “Finale” takes place one year after the airing of the documentary produced by the fictional production team that followed the Dunder Mifflin staff throughout the series. It sees Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela (Angela Kinsey) get married, with Dwight choosing Jim (John Krasinski) to be his best man, only for Michael to appear on the day and do the honors.

It was a touching moment in a show that had, at that point, undeniably lost its way. But it took some effort to get Carell back as Michael. On an episode of The Office Ladies podcast, Pam actress Jenna Fischer recalled how Carell was hesitant to come back, explaining how Greg Daniels finally convinced him. “[Daniels] had wanted that for a very long time,” she said, “and he asked him pretty early in season 9. But Steve was reluctant. He felt like Michael’s story had ended.” According to Fischer, not only did Carell not want to reopen Michael’s story after it had been so nicely wrapped up in season 7, he wanted the other actors to have their moment. The actress continued:

“[Carell] especially did not want to come back after two years and have this finale episode be about him. He really felt like ‘My character had his ending. This is everybody else’s ending,’ and he didn’t want to overshadow that. But then Greg had the idea of the final episode being Dwight and Angela’s wedding, and Steve agreed Michael would be there.”

This wasn’t the first time Steve Carell spoke about being unsure about Michael’s return in the “Office” series finale. On Brian Baumgartner’s “An Oral History of The Office” podcast, Carell and Greg Daniels discussed the episode, with Daniels confirming that Carell was hesitant to come back. “He was like, ‘Everybody who put in these other two years, this is the end of the show,'” explained Daniels. “This is the end of all of their stories. I left, this isn’t all about me.'” Carell added:

“I had told Greg, ‘I just don’t think it’s a good idea’ because I felt like Michael’s story had definitely ended. And I was reticent about coming back because you guys had two more really valuable seasons and that was everyone else’s ending. Michael had already had his, so I just didn’t want to — but at the same time, I felt like I should, out of respect for all of you guys and out of my love for everybody, to acknowledge the ending of this thing.”

For some time now, a reboot/spin-off has been rumored to be in the works, and in 2024 “The Office” spin-off was made official with a plot synopsis and streaming home. Though this new version of the series, which will be led by “About Time” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” star Domhnall Gleeson, is said to be set in the same universe as the original U.S. series, don’t expect Steve Carell to appear, as the actor told The Hollywood Reporter in 2024, “I will be watching but I will not be showing up. It’s just a new thing and there’s really no reason for my character to show up in something like that.” Carell has been coaxed out of Michael Scott retirement once before, but unless Greg Daniels, who is overseeing the spin-off, comes up with another great reason to get Carell back, Michael’s appearance at Dwight and Angela’s wedding will almost certainly remain his last.